Himachal police orders POSH Act compliance audit within 15 days

The audit, to be completed within 15 days, will review whether Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) have been properly constituted in all eligible offices, whether they are functioning effectively, and whether mandatory procedures under the Act are being followed in letter and spirit

To ensure a safe, dignified and harassment-free workplace for women, the director general of police (DGP), Himachal Pradesh, has directed a comprehensive statewide audit of the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) across all police units and establishments in the state.

Any lapse in constitution or functioning of ICCs will be rectified immediately. (HT Photo for representation)

The audit, to be completed within 15 days, will review whether Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) have been properly constituted in all eligible offices, whether they are functioning effectively, and whether mandatory procedures under the Act are being followed in letter and spirit.

The directive comes in the backdrop of a recent complaint of a woman trainee constable at the Police Training College (PTC) in Daroh in which she had alleged that an instructor had sent her objectionable messages on her mobile phone. Following the complaint, the instructor was placed under suspension and the matter was referred to the ICC for inquiry.

Senior police officers, including SPs and COs, have been instructed to personally supervise the exercise and submit detailed compliance reports to police headquarters within the stipulated timeframe.