Bengaluru, Aug 20 (PTI) A principal scientist of a government science research institute here has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing four PhD scholars, the police said today.

Imtiyaz Ahmed Parvez, principal scientist of the CSIR Fourth Paradigm Institute, was arrested on Friday under section 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdul Ahad told PTI. "He was arrested and released on bail the same day," he said. "The victims were sexually harassed by Parvez for the past one year," he alleged. The PhD scholars lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against the principal scientist. The institute formed an internal inquiry panel and conducted two probes, which failed to establish Parvezs guilt and gave a clean chit to him, Ahad said. Later, they decided to approach former state chief secretary J Alexander, who in turn gave information about the incident to Chairman of Expert Committee on Prevention of Sexual Violence and Congress leader, V S Ugrappa, he said.

Ugrappa brought the matter to polices notice, he said. PTI BDN RC DIP SC DIP