Bhubaneswar: The police have arrested a school teacher on charges of sexually assaulting a Class-IX girl in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on April 25.

The arrested has been identified as Jatindra Mohanta (58) of Krushnachandrapur Government High School in Betnoti area of Mayurbhanj.

As per the complaint, Mohanta had allegedly made several attempts for sexual favours from the victim by threatening her with poor results in the examinations.

The accused reportedly intercepted the victim while she was returning home from a nearby place at around 9 pm on April 25. He allegedly forcibly took the girl to a secluded place and sexually assaulted her.

Mohanta fled the scene after a passerby rushed to the spot after hearing the victim’s screams.

The Betnoti police registered a case in this regard on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s family and launched a probe into the incident.

The cops today arrested the accused and produced him in a local court. He was later sent to jail as his bail petition was rejected, reports said.

“We will place the accused teacher under suspension after receiving a written information regarding his arrest from the police,” said Mayurbhanj District Education Officer (DEO) Purna Chandra Sethi.

Reports, meanwhile, claimed that Mohanta had faced disciplinary action in a similar case in 2021.