Maheswar Mohanty, Speaker, Orissa Assembly

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Bhubaneswar : Orissa Speaker Maheswar Mohanty has been accused of sexually harassing Assembly Marshal Gayatri Panda.

The twenty-nine-year-old Panda, who is under suspension while talking to the media stated that Mohanty used to call her to his chamber alone and even sent a car to her place late in the night.

Panda also says the Speaker, who was aware she was unmarried, used to make lewd gestures at her.

"I am unmarried and stay alone. He used to send a car to my place at midnight and ask me to meet him alone. When I did House duty on the Speaker's dias, he would call me to his chamber. I can't describe what he used to do then. It's sad that a place where laws are made is a place that is not safe for women," Panda said.

The marshall also claimed that she had lodged a complaint with the Assembly secretary on March 21.

However, Mohanty has denied the accusations and blaming the Marshal for not working well due to which he said she has been placed under suspension for negligence. He added, ``But if such allegations have been made against me then I would like an impartial inquiry."

He has accused her of blackmailing him. He vehemently refused that he used to call Panda to his chamber time and again.

He also defensively remarked that the Marshall has brought up the matter only after her suspension due to shirking work, which apparently laid doubts on the truth behind her allegation.

The Speaker has taken these allegations quite seriously and has said that he would be raising the matter in the Assembly today.

According to the sources, Panda was now contemplating to file a formal complaint with the police against Mohanty.