Bengaluru woman accuses HR manager of rape attempt

BENGALURU: A 26-year-old woman employee of a Germany-based multinational firm located in Peenya Industrial Area has filed a case against her HR manager, accusing him of sexually harassing and attempting to rape her. 

The victim had complained about the issue to the director of the HR department, but as the company failed to take any action against the accused, Sharath Gowda, she approached Peenya police and filed a complaint. Sharath (38) has gone absconding since an FIR was registered. The police are looking to arrest him.

Police said the complainant, who works as an HR executive in the material manufacturing firm, had joined it two years ago. Gowda had been allegedly sexually harassing her for a few months. 

Speaking to The New Indian Express, the victim said, “Gowda used to masturbate in the chamber during working hours and I had warned him to behave properly. ​

He then threatened me that he would cause trouble for me in the company. A few days later, we were about to go to BBMP office on an official visit, but on the way he took me to his house at Nandini Layout, and dragged me to bed. I managed to run away from his house. He had sent away the cab driver intentionally when he took me to his house.” 

Gowda allegedly threatened to make her life hell at the company if she revealed it to anyone. The victim complained to the head of the department, Guna K Thanthry, who allegedly did not take action against Gowda. The company apparently has not constituted an Internal Complaints Committee to address such issues. 

The victim’s brother said, “My sister was under depression for a few months. She did not reveal the problem she was facing. When I coaxed her, she told me about Gowda, who had threatened her against revealing anything about the incident to anyone. I took her to the police station to file a case. The company is also equally responsible for not forming an ICC and not taking the incident seriously,” he said.

When the police went to arrest Gowda at his residence, his wife reportedly refused to give any information about him. The police are now tracking his phone location to trace him. A case has also been filed against Thanthry for her negligence in not taking up the victim’s complaint against Gowda.