Police registers case against Odissi dancer Ileana Citaristi

A case has been registered against the Italy-born Odissi dancer and Padma Shri awardee Ileana Citaristi for allegedly misbehaving with a student at the dance school run by her at Bindu Sagar area.

The complaint was lodged at Lingaraj police station by the victim's father Kamala Kanta Dash on Sunday but police registered the case last Tuesday night.

According to Dash's complaint, Citaristi misbehaved with his daughter Dibyarupa, 10, over some issue on Sunday. The father, however, declined to divulge the details.

"The allegations against me are baseless. I have not misbehaved at all or beaten up the student," Citaristi told reporters.

She teaches Oddissi to about 40 students in her dance school 'Art Vision Academy'.

Police said the case has been registered against Citaristi under section 341 (wrongful restraint) and 323 (causing hurt) of IPC and section 23 of Juvenile Justice Act.

The girl had been medically examined but there was no external injuries, said DCP Nitinjit Singh.

Photograph: Courtesy kalinga.net