Syed Riaz Ahmed was the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Khunti. He was arrested on 5 July and was sent to judicial custody for two weeks after the engineering student filed a police complaint against him.
Ahmed faces charges under IPC sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), police said.
"Chief Minister Hemant Soren has given direction to suspend Syed Riaz Ahmed, posted as SDM Khunti. The SDM was charged with sexual harassment case," a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office said.
A court on 5 July remanded the officer to judicial custody for 14 days.
Eight engineering students of an IIT, including the victim, had come to Khunti from outside the state for training, as per officials.
They attended a dinner hosted at the Deputy Development Commissioner's residence on Saturday.
When the SDM found her alone at the party, he allegedly sexually harassed her there, the victim told the police in a statement.
An investigation is underway. Meanwhile expressing anguish over the incident, the Bhartiya Janata Party took to streets against Khunti’s now arrested SDM Ahmed and demanded his immediate sacking saying he has earned a bad name for Jharkhand. “This is shameful, disgusting and unthinkable …We demand strictest possible action against the official so that no other officer dares to stoop to such level, " BJP state president and MP Deepak Prakash told news agency PTI.
