PTI

Bhubaneshwar, Mar 27: An FIR was on Thursday filed against Orissa assembly Speaker Maheshwar Mohanty by a woman assistant marshal accusing him of sexually harassing her, police sources said.

The FIR was filed at the Mahila police station on behalf of the marshal Gayatri panda by a group of women activists, they said. Assistant commissioner of police B N Guru told reporters that Panda's FIR was accepted but a case was yet to be registered as inspector in-charge of Mahila police station was away from the state capital.

Accusing the Speaker of “engaging his driver and other staff to persuade her to have sexual relations with him”, Panda alleged in the FIR that “Mohanty had also been making vulgar gestures towards her frequently.”

Alleging that the “Speaker had also sent vehicle to her house to fetch her around midnight,” Panda said all these had caused her mental agony and she was unable to tolerate Mohanty's behaviour any more.

“Since I did not agree to these proposals, I was suspended repeatedly and threatened of actions on flimsy grounds,” she claimed adding that messages were sent to her that all problems would be solved if she met him alone.

She also alleged that some anti-social elements had threatened to kill her if she posed any challenge to Mohanty.

Seeking appropriate punishment for Mohanty, the marshal claimed that she had informed the assembly secretary in writing twice about her harassment but no action had been taken so far.

Stating that she had been working in the assembly as assistant marshal since 2001 without neglecting duty, Panda alleged that “she was always deliberately engaged, even at odd hours, in works which did not form part of her job.”

“I knew the Speaker was behind all these to put me in trouble, but I never neglected my official duty,” she claimed.