Sambalpur, July 18: Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) in Odisha’s Sambalpur on Friday issued a formal advisory to all teaching staff following the arrest of an Assistant Professor accused of sexually exploiting a 20-year-old female student, officials said.

Gopikant Suna, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at GM University, was arrested and forwarded to the court yesterday after a second-year BA BEd female student lodged a complaint at the Mahila Police Station here, accusing him of sexual exploitation under false promises of marriage.

The arrest has sparked outrage among students and prompted swift administrative action.

The university administration suspended the accused professor immediately after his arrest. In response to the incident, Susant Kumar Das, the in-charge Vice Chancellor of GMU, addressed the faculty and emphasized the importance of maintaining the highest standards of professional, ethical, and moral conduct.

“All teachers have been advised to treat students as their own brothers and sisters,” Das stated. He further directed Heads of Departments and faculty members to counsel students individually and report any instances of harassment directly to him. The university is taking steps to ensure a safer and more accountable academic environment.

Student protests erupted on campus during the day, with demonstrators demanding a thorough investigation into the incident. A memorandum was submitted to the Vice Chancellor, calling for the identification of any other faculty members who may have engaged in similar unethical behavior.

In the evening, the Vice Chancellor convened a meeting of the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) and issued fresh instructions to its members to strengthen the university’s response mechanisms. The ICC has been tasked with ensuring swift and impartial handling of any future complaints.

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