The court said the inquiry by the ICC was not conducted in the matter “according to principles of natural justice”. (Express photo: Ravi Kanojia/File)
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed as invalid a report of an internal complaints committee (ICC) set up by Air France to look into sexual harassment charges against a former senior officer of the airline.
A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla directed the French national carrier to reconstitute its ICC within 30 days “in strict compliance with the requirements under law” and ordered the panel to conduct a fresh inquiry.
The court set aside the report exonerating the official, a French national, who was handling its cargo business in India, Nepal and Bhutan in 2013, of all charges, observing that the “Vishaka guidelines are to be taken seriously, and not followed in a ritualistic manner”.
The court said the inquiry by the ICC was not conducted in the matter “according to principles of natural justice”.
The bench also noted that the sudden termination of employment of the the complainant — an Indian woman staffer — “also raises concerns regarding there being bias in the proceedings of the ICC”.