DGP urged to take action against official

The Human Rights and Consumer Protection Society executive general secretary R. Muruganantham has written to the Director-General of Police, Puducherry, to take action against the Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, Government of Puducherry, under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment against Women Act 2013.

In the letter, he said that action should be taken in the larger interest and to render distributive justice to save the dignity of women as guaranteed by the Constitution. “We state to your authority that of late, some higher officials in government service in Puducherry were reported to be indulging in sexual harassment of women employees working under their control and people who suffer ignominy are reluctant to lodge complaint fearing reprisal and victimisation,” he said.

Mr. Muruganantham said the Government, in February 2018, constituted the Local Complaints Committee under the new Act and one such genuine complaint was against the Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, Government of Puducherry. “Summons were issued to him by the committee requisitioning to appear for inquiry against which the alleged accused official obtained a stay order in the High Court of Madras,” he alleged.