Orissa assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty, who has been in the line of fire over charges of sexual abuse, resigned from his post on Monday.

Accusing the Speaker of engaging his staff to persuade her to have sexual relations with him, the police complaint filed by Lady Assistant Marshal Gayatri Panda alleged that Mohanty often made vulgar gestures at her.

Mohanty has denied the charges claiming it was part of a conspiracy in which influential people were involved to malign him.

Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recommended Governor Rameshwar Thakur to dismiss Information and Public Relations Minister Debashis Naik in connection with the controversy.

More details are awaited.