Rights panel orders CMDA to submit report on sexual harassment of employee

CHENNAI: The State Human Rights Commission on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of a report in The New Indian Express about alleged sexual harassment of a woman employee of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), who resigned following the incident, and ordered Principal Secretary, Housing Department and Authority Member-Secretary to enquire and submit a report within four weeks.
The TNIE report on June 28 said CMDA had ordered an inquiry into the allegation against a senior planner.

The probe was ordered by CMDA after certain portions of the purported texts between the senior planner and her, were circulated on social media. The conversation suggested that the senior planner had sought sexual favours from her by promising career and monetary benefits. Screenshots of the conversation were also published in the newspaper.

SHRC in its notice sought whether an internal complaints committee had been set up in the office as per the Vishaka guidelines to report sexual harassment of women at workplace and also a complaint was registered against the official by the victim.