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| Female employee paying heavy price for raising voice against blue-eyed MV inspector | | Transport deptt constitutes, dissolves multiple committees to probe sexual harassment complaint | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 3: A female employee of Transport department is paying a heavy price for raising her voice against the blue-eyed Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI), Chander Mohan Sharma, who is handling over half a dozen lucrative posts in the department, due to his close proximity with the higher ups.
According to the documents available with Early Times, female colleague of Sharma on 9 May 2019 filed a written complaint against him with Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Jammu alleging that Sharma has been harassing her and making indecent advances towards her.
She stated that she has been resisting his moves despite that he has not stopped passing lewd comments and continues to harass her sexually.
Following her complaint Regional Transport Officer Jammu issued an order no. 21-RTOJ/dated 11 May 2019 stating: "In partial modification to this office order no. 22 RTOJ of 2017, dated 13 Sep 2017, the internal complaint committee is hereby re-constituted and shall now be consisting of following members."
The committee members, according to the order, comprised of Rehana Tabasum, ARTO, Flying Squad Jammu, Kuldeep Raj-SO (P) RTO office Jammu and Manju Sharma, Junior Assistant, RTO office Jammu.
The RTO by reconstituting the committee modified the order no. 22 RTOJ of 2017 dated 13 September 2017. The order no. 22 stated: "Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of internal complaint committee headed by Diksha Bamba ARTO is constituted under the provision of sexual harassment of women at workplace (Prevention of Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 for taking cognisance of the complaints of women about sexual harassment at work place."
According to the order Ranjeet Kumar (SO) Planning and Senior Assistant Monica Kohli were appointed its members.
Just within three days after RTO reconstituted the committee, the Transport department issued another order no. 61-TC dated 16 May 2019.
The order stated that a committee is herby constituted to examine the charges of sexual harassment against Chander Mohan Sharma, MVI posted in BoI Goods, Jammu.
The committee comprising Swaran Singh , Assistant Transport Commissioner, J&K, Jammu, Rehana Tabasum, ARTO Jammu Flying Squad, Jammu and Roopali Sharma, Legal Assistant, TC office Jammu, shall examine the matter and culminate the investigation within week's time.
Seven days after the Transport department passed the order the Assistant Transport Commissioner on 23 May 2019 sent a letter no. TC/JK/211 dated 23 May 2019 to complainant stating: "RTO Jammu vide letter No. 411-12/RTOJ/PA/2019 has forwarded a complaint filed by you (complainant) wherein you have leveled serious charges against Chander Mohan Sharma. In this context a committee has been constituted. As such you are directed to appear before the committee on 24 May 2019 at Transport Commissioner Office in Jammu."
After receiving the letter from the Assistant Transport Commissioner, the complainant wrote a letter to the Transport department stating: "Since the internal committee constituted by your goodself order No. 61-TC dated 16 May 2019 is in the flagrant violation of the mandate of Section 4 of the Act, the same cannot start and conduct its proceedings. The committee needs to be dissolved forthwith by immediately stopping the proceedings. I request your goodself to constitute a proper legal committee consisting of impartial members."
The letter further stated: "In view of the legal and apparent flaws in the constitution of the committee, it is most respectfully requested that till such time the committee is dissolved and its proceedings are stopped formally, the today's proceedings i.e. 24 May, 2019 may please be adjourned sine die in the interest of justice and also in the best interest of department as well as the members of invalidly constituted committee."
On 27 May 2019 Transport department issued another order no. 64-TC stating: "In pursuance of Section 4 (1) of Sexual Harassment of Women at work place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 a committee of the following officers/officials is hereby constituted to examine the complaint filed by the victim. The committee comprised of Rachna Sharma, Assistant Regional Transport Officer Udhampur, Rehana Tabasum, ARTO Flying Squad Jammu, Roopali Sharma, Legal Assistant TC office Jammu and member from Sahyog India (NGO)."
The order again stated that the committee would file its report within a week's time.
The new committee constituted by the Transport department sent a letter to the victim asking her to appear before it on 29 May 2019. "You have to present yourself before the committee for recording of statements. Any evidence, person or material which supports your claim can be produced along with and may be presented before the committee," the letter stated.
On 30 May 2019 the committee issued another letter to the victim stating: "Its informed to you through this communication to present yourself in the Board of Inspection (passenger) at 10:00 am on 3 June 2019 so that the committee can record your statement in concern to the complaint filed by you. During the last meeting of the committee you pleaded before the committee that due to medical condition you were unable to give any statement Thus, once again committee will sit as per the schedule given above and you are advised to be there on time."
Interestingly, all the communications and letters have been sent to the victim since the day she has lodged a complaint against the "powerful" MVI Inspector Chander Mohan Sharma, who holds six important positions in the department. The positions held by Sharma are: Member in Board of Inspection (Goods), Member in Driving Testing Board (First Shift), Member in Driving Testing Board (2nd Shift), Member in Empowered Committee for introduction of new vehicles, Member in Technical Committee of Location Tracking device and Panic Buttons in Passenger Service Vehicles and Member in checking Squad of MVD.
Sources said that till date no explanation has been sought from the accused and he is watching the developments as a fence sitter. "Despite victim filing a written a complaint she is being repeatedly asked to do all the talking and come up with the evidence. She has clearly mentioned in her written complaint that the accused used to look for excuses to summon her alone in his room, so how can there be any eyewitness," they said, adding that "Officials constituting multiple committees to probe a simple sexual harassment complaint has confused everyone. It seems that every possible attempt is being made to corner the victim. It looks like that the entire focus of the officials is on the victim and not on the accused." |
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