The Election Commission of India has suspended an IAS officer from Uttar Pradesh who was deputed as a general observer for the elections following multiple complaints of sexual harassment in Bengal.

Narendra Prasad Pandey, who was a general observer for the election to the Kashipur Assembly constituency in Purulia district, has denied the charge.

An EC source said the emergency action was taken after prima facie information suggested overreach by the officer.

Tuesday’s suspension order from EC secretary Malay Mallick to Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari says that Pandey “shall be placed under immediate suspension for his misconduct with district officials, misuse of official position and indulging in behaviour unbecoming of an observer appointed by the commission”.

The order added that “disciplinary action and a charge sheet before March 30 have also been ordered”.

Pandey’s actions “compromised the dignity of the institution of observers”, the order said, adding that he was removed on March 22 “to prevent any flare-up of the situation”.

A senior official said: “The officer had made lewd proposals to several women officers. Although observers have no business issuing orders to other officials, he had the temerity to attach the services of a woman officer to himself. After we spoke to her, we learnt that he had made advances towards several women officers within the fortnight that he was posted there. Such was the gravity of the situation that he had to be immediately flown back to Uttar Pradesh.”

Pandey, a special secretary in the agricultural production commissioner’s branch, told this newspaper: “The order does not mention the charge (sexual harassment) that you are making. All I can say at this stage is that I have done nothing wrong.”

The EC also replaced the police commissioner and collector in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, as part of the routine precaution of transferring officers whose neutrality is doubtful.