IRS officer held on molestation charge in Patna

An Indian Revenue Service officer serving as a joint commissioner at the Income Tax department in Patna was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly molesting a student from the Northeast.

The woman, who hails from Sikkim, was staying in a hostel of a coaching institute, where accused Ram Babu Gupta is a mentor. The institute on a major Patna’s road area provides free residential coaching to schedule caste, tribal, and OBC students, who plan to write the medical and engineering admissions tests.

DSP (Law and order) Shibli Nomani confirmed the arrest. He said the girl told the police that Gupta barged into her hostel room two days ago and molested her. Gupta also tried to give her Rs 1000 and offered to marry her, police said.

He fled when the girl raised alarm and other students rushed in to help her.

The victim’s father, who rushed to Patna on Tuesday, in his FIR said Gupta indulged in obscene acts with his daughter even when she attended classes.

According to police, the coaching institute had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Sikkim government to offer coaching to girls from the northeastern state. Majority of the girls enrolled in the institute from the hill state are from poor families. Gupta founded the institute in 2012 for the students of socially backward and poor communities.

The IRS officer declined to speak to reporters at the Digha police station, where he was brought after the arrest.

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