Renu Bhatia, chairperson, Haryana State Commission for Women, on Friday said that committees constituted within offices must investigate cases of sexual harassment impartially and in a time-bound manner and action must also be taken against women who level false allegations. She said the commission has taken action against 10 such women whose accusations were found to be baseless during investigations.
Bhatia was speaking on Friday at a one-day workshop-cum-training session on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act organised by the Department of Women and Child Development, Kurukshetra, at the Panchayat Bhawan. She said offices where officers and employees behaved well were unlikely to witness such misconduct. In such environments, incidents of sexual harassment would be virtually non-existent, she added.
While addressing the officials, she said details regarding the office committee—including a list of the chairperson and other members along with their contact information—must be conveniently accessible. “Making this information available ensures that victims can file complaints in the event of any sexual misconduct. Without such awareness, a woman might not even know how to lodge a grievance," she added.
Bhatia directed the officials to ensure monthly meetings to discuss relevant topics such as the POSH Act, child marriage, POCSO Act and labour laws, and address any issues or difficulties that arose. She added that the commission would take action if directions are not followed.
Bhatia also highlighted growing cases of harassment and abandonment involving NRIs. “Currently, 41 such cases are listed for hearing. The commission has so far facilitated the return of 13 men from abroad—men who had abandoned their wives and traveled overseas via the donkey route or other means, subsequently neglecting their spouses back home," said the commission chairperson.
Further, Bhatia said the commission had taken a serious view of the sexual assault incident that happened at the LNJP Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra and a complete record of the accused doctor was being obtained.
“We were shocked when we came to know about the incident. A 15-year-old minor girl was sexually assaulted by the doctor. He had already faced similar charges in the past and yet he was reengaged after retirement. We are inquiring about the previous cases and the reason behind reengaging the doctor with such a tainted past,” she added.
