Congress IT cell member accused of sexual harassment summoned in court

A Delhi court has summoned a member of the Congress IT cell in a sexual harassment case lodged by his former colleague.

Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh Rawat took cognisance of the charge sheet, filed by Delhi police, and directed the accused -- Chirag Patnaik -- to appear before her on February 2, 2019.

Patnaik was arrested in July on the complaint and released on bail.

In its charge sheet, the police have booked the accused under sections of 354-A (sexual harassment) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"Patnaik on many occasions had made me (the complainant) uncomfortable at the office with his frequent violation of my personal space and immoral behaviour.

"Between April 4, 2018 and May 23, 2018, on many occasions, under the pretext of checking tweets, Patnaik violated my personal space by coming too close to me, while I was busy concentrating on my computer screen, Patnaik encircled me from behind in a manner most immoral, pretending to check the tweets," said the charge sheet quoting the victim.

The complaint added that the accused also "exhaled in my (victim) breathing space whenever he encircled me."  

(With inputs from agencies.)