Women superintendent accuses Inspector General of sexual harassment

A woman police superintendent has accused an Inspector General rank officer of sexual harassment and an Internal Complaints Committee would meet on August 23 to look into her complaint, police said today.

A woman police superintendent has accused an Inspector General rank officer of sexual harassment and an Internal Complaints Committee would meet on August 23 to look into her complaint, police said today.

Alleging sexual advances by her superior, an officer of the rank of IG, the woman SP has lodged a written complaint to top authorities, police sources said.

"The Internal Complaints Committee set up as per the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 will look into the woman officer's complaint on August 23," a top state police official told PTI.

The meeting of the ICC, the first after it was re-constituted on August 17 will look into the plaint and go forward in accordance with the harassment prevention law, the official said. TN DGP T K Rajendran has named ADGPs Seema Aggarwal, Su Arunachalam, and Deputy Inspector General of Police, Thenmozhi and two retired officials as members of the ICC.

In her complaint, the woman officer said she rejected the sexual advances of the senior officer. She has alleged that she had been subjected to sexual harassment for months and the recent episode happened during the first week of this month.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, in a tweet, said, "though it is a welcome move from TN govt to form a Vishaka Committee for Police Department, govt's failure to transfer or suspend the officer against whom allegations are made is shocking."

The continuance of the officer in the same post, would lead to "destruction of evidence and derail the Vishaka probe," she said.

The Supreme Court had in a landmark judgment in 1997 in the "Vishakha vs the State of Rajasthan," case issued guidelines to prevent sexual harassment of women in workplaces. Incorporating the guidelines, known as Vishakha guidelines," the 2013 law was adopted by Parliament with added provisions to prevent harassment of women at the workplace.

CPI (M) and All India Democratic Women's Association leader Vasuki Umanatha said the composition of the ICC should reflect the spirit of the Vishaka judgment. In a Facebook post, she said independent women members with experience in handling such issues should be included under the "third party representation," slot of the ICC rather than nominating retired officials.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)