Sexual harassment of woman employee: Haryana agriculture deputy director removed from service

Arya, a class 1 officer was removed from service following a departmental inquiry into a complaint by a woman employee working on a contractual basis in the agriculture department

The Haryana government has ordered the removal from service of Sonepat deputy director, agriculture, Virender Dev Arya after finding him guilty of sexually harassing a woman employee and abusing his official position.

Removal of a government employee from service is a major punishment awarded under the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016. (HT)

Arya, a class 1 officer was removed from service following a departmental inquiry into a complaint by a woman employee working on a contractual basis in the agriculture department, according to an August 20 order signed by additional chief secretary, agriculture, Vijayendra Kumar.

Removal of a government employee from service is a major punishment awarded under the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016. According to the Rules, the removed person however is not debarred for future employment under the government whereas dismissal from service is a disqualification for future employment under the government.

According to the August 20 order, the district level sexual harassment committee, Panipat had concluded that Arya had sexually harassed the woman employee on December 6, 2017 and recommended action against the officer under applicable service rules.

The committee also recommended payment of woman employee’s three days salary for which she had allegedly been marked absent by Arya despite attending office.

The state government subsequently issued a charge sheet for major penalty against Arya under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016, the charges alleged that he had abused his position as head of office, made obscene and unwelcome advances towards the woman employee, pressured her to establish physical relations and sexually harassed her. A second allegation was that Arya abused his official position by marking the woman employee absent on three days and withholding her salary.

After Arya’s response to the chargesheet was found unsatisfactory, the state government ordered a regular departmental inquiry in July 2023. The inquiry officer, a retired IPS officer, submitted his report in April 2024 and found the charges against Arya proved.

Arya was subsequently given a copy of the inquiry report and an opportunity to respond. He was also given a personal hearing on May 1, 2026 before the government took the final decision to remove him from service. The order said that he did not present any new facts during the hearing and reiterated his earlier submissions.

The officer had also approached the Punjab and Haryana high court against the charge sheet and the inquiry proceedings but withdrew his petition on July 28, 2026.

He subsequently submitted a representation on July 29, 2026 which did not contain any new material and only reiterated facts already placed before the authorities.

“After examining the record, the competent authority concluded that the charges stood proved and proposed the penalty of removal from service under Rule 4(b)(vi) of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016. The matter was also referred to the Haryana Public Service Commission for advice which in an August 13 communication agreed with the proposed penalty of removal from service for the officer,” reads the order.