Women’s commission takes suo motu cognisance of IAS officer’s sexual harassment allegations

The woman IAS officer of Haryana cadre, who had accused a senior civil servant from the state of sexually harassing her, on Monday, submitted a complaint in Haryana State Commission for Women.

The Commission had taken suo motu notice of press reports about allegations of sexual harassment against the senior IAS officer and summoned him as well as the woman IAS.

The woman, an officer of the 2014 batch, had said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the senior officer would make her stay late at work — until 7 or 8 pm, make unwanted advances, and even tried to threaten her for writing adverse comments on official file.

Her senior, however, had rubbished the allegations and claimed that the woman officer had been advised not to find faults with the files which have got all necessary clearances from other officials.

The woman IAS officer met Pratibha Suman, chairperson of Haryana State Commission for Women and gave the details of her ordeal.

The accused bureaucrat, however, did not appear before the Commission and sought time of three days.

After the meeting, chairperson Pratibha Suman told the mediapersons that the statement of woman IAS officer has been recorded. More officials would be summoned to inquire into the complaint, she added.

In her Facebook post, the 28-year old woman IAS officer  had also alleged, “The superior officer threatened to file a complaint and spoil my Annual Confidential Report (ACR) if I do not stop writing adverse comments on the official files”.