Odisha police detain editor of a web portal after Olympian Dutee Chand alleges harassment

The athlete moved the civil court in Bhubaneswar demanding compensation of ₹5 crore from the journalist for defaming her and subsequently causing her to lose advertisement contracts with several corporate houses.

Published on: Sep 3, 2021, 23:44:21 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha Police on Friday detained the editor of a web-channel for questioning following harassment allegations levelled against him by Olympian Dutee Chand.

Olympian Dutee Chand had lodged a complaint with the Mahila Police Station against Rout, a reporter of the web channel Smruti Ranjan Behera and RTI activist Pradip Pradhan for allegedly publishing defamatory new stories against her. (AFP PHOTO.)

Sudhansu Sekhar Rout, editor of web-channel Focus TV was picked up from his office at Jharpara in Bhubaneswar and taken to the Mahila Police Station for questioning.

“Based on the complaint of athlete Dutee Chand at Mahila Police Station on Wednesday, a case was registered against Rout. Dutee has made serious allegations ranging from threats, defamation, sexual harassment insulting modesty and others against Sudhanshu Sekhar Rout,” Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash said.

The sprinter had lodged a complaint with the Mahila Police Station against Rout, a reporter of the web channel Smruti Ranjan Behera and RTI activist Pradip Pradhan for allegedly publishing defamatory new stories against her during her participation at the recently held Tokyo Olympics 2020.

A case was registered under multiple Sections of the IPC, including 292-2 (obscene and indecent publication), 354-A (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy).

“I was mentally harassed and had to face character assassination. I have filed a defamation case and lodged a police complaint. They made an issue using my character and gender which was very distasteful. I am confident that I will get justice. I am happy and relaxed that today a person has been detained,” said Chand.

During a press conference on Thursday, the athlete had alleged that the stories published by the channel had hurt her a lot and she underwent stress which affected her performance at the Olympics. Chand had failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the women’s 200m event in Tokyo Olympics.

She also moved the civil court in Bhubaneswar demanding compensation of ₹5 crore from the journalist for defaming her and subsequently causing her to lose advertisement contracts with several corporate houses.

She accused journalist Sudhansu Sekhar Rout and RTI activist Pradip Pradhan of running a malicious campaign on social media when she was preparing for the 200m event at the Tokyo Olympics, held recently.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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