Coimbatore: A 40-year-old woman from Valapari staged a protest at the district collectorate on Monday alleging that the authorities of a tea estate have directed her to vacate her house after she filed a sexual harassment complaint against the estate contractor.
The worker with Kejimudi tea estate had filed a complaint a year ago against a 60-year-old estate contractor for abusing her 16-year-old daughter, who has learning difficulties.
“I have been receiving threats to withdraw my complaint,” she said, adding that as she remained firm, she was asked to vacate the house in the estate. The woman has filed a private petition with the Valparai judicial magistrate. Based on the petition, a first information report (FIR) was filed in October.
While Murganathavalli claimed that the contractor and two of his family members had paid the penalty of Rs 500 and were released without any punishment, officials at the police department said they had filed the case under Section 294 B (sings, recites or utters any obscene word) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“The case was closed as there was not any evidence to prove that the girl was sexually abused,” the official said, adding that they had filed another FIR under Section 294 B and sexual harassment case after the woman filed a private petition, for the second time, at the court in March.
“We are investigating the case,” the official added.
Rebutting the allegations, an authority from the estate said that they have only transferred her to another division within the estate and had allotted a similar house in that division.
“We have transferred her after receiving complaints from her co-workers and to separate both the workers who are involved in the case,” the authority added.