Railways to pay Rs. 5.5 lakh to harassed officer

Taking a serious note of sexual harassment of women by seniors in office, the Delhi High Court has directed the railway ministry to pay a compensation of Rs. 5.5 lakh to a woman officer who was molested twice by her senior, Harish V Nair reports.

Taking a serious note of sexual harassment of women by seniors in office, the Delhi High Court has directed the railway ministry to pay a compensation of R5.5 lakh to a woman officer who was molested twice by her senior.

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The woman, a railway board official, was so shocked that she went on leave for two years from March 1998 when the incident happened till February 2001.

A bench of chief justice D Murugesan and justice RS Endlaw also directed the railway ministry to count the period of her leave and pay the salary for that period along with other increments.

“On finding a completely unsympathetic approach of the then general manager of the north zone who was not willing to take action against the errant official, I was left with no alternative but to proceed on leave as it was not possible for me to work in an atmosphere where my dignity and honour was continuously under threat,” the woman told the court.

The officer had first tried to molest the complainant at the house of a religious leader where she had accompanied him after inauguration of Beas-Goindwal section of the railways.

The second time, he tried to molest her during a train travel on their way to inspect the Ferozpur railway station.

The woman official had also demanded before the court the release of her entitled salary and quashing of disciplinary proceedings initiated against her for going on leave and refusal to join the zone where she was transferred.