The Delhi High Court imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on a woman for filing a false complaint of sexual harassment against her senior.
The court said there was no merit in the woman’s petition in which she has challenged a 2012 order of an internal complaint committee (ICC).
“There is no merit in this writ petition which is dismissed with cost of ₹50,000 to be deposited by the petitioner [woman] with the Delhi High Court Advocates Welfare Trust within four weeks,” Justice J.R. Midha said.
The court said the organisation, where the woman was working, is at liberty to initiate appropriate action against her for “filing a false complaint” against the man in accordance with the law.
The woman had also sought direction to the organisation to initiate independent departmental enquiry against the man and to also prosecute him. In her complaint, she had alleged sexual harassment by her senior in 2011. She had alleged that the man had misbehaved and made sexual advances towards her.
‘Result of grudge’
To examine the complaint, an ICC was constituted where the man had denied the allegation and claimed that the complaint was the result of a grudge against him due to certain official work disposed of by him in her absence.
The committee had observed that the exact content of communication of the incident could not be established and gave benefit of doubt to the man.
The High Court, after going through the record of the inquiry proceedings, said it was of the view that the woman’s complaint appeared to be false.
It said the woman had claimed that the incident took place in the presence of the staff and other members but during the inquiry proceedings, she could not give the name of any person present at that time.