Three sexual harassment cases await probe in Chandrapur Western Coalfields Limited

CHANDRAPUR: With sexual harassment complaints of three women employees in Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), Chandrapur area standing unresolved — two of them for over a year — MLA Pratibha Dhanorkar has warned of taking up the matter in state assembly if the management fails to act within a fortnight.
Despite written complaints by the survivors in all three cases, officials set up single-person inquiry committees instead of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which is mandatory for redressal of sexual harassment complaints at the workplace.
KK Singh, leader of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) in WCL Chandrapur which has backed the survivors, shared copies of the complaints with TOI.
A clerical employee working in WCL Lalpeth sub-area was allegedly sexually harassed by her manager Naga Shankar Rao for over two years. In her complaint, the employee has charged her boss of sending unsolicited text messages on WhatsApp and Facebook messenger, commenting on her appearance, calling her frequently to his cabin and making her sit in front of him for hours. When she refused to comply, he used to shout at her, the complaint adds.
She has also charged him of humiliating her in a casteist manner and threatening to “throw (transfer)” her to a secluded place so as to ruin her career.
The complaint states that Rao used to follow her home after office hours, purposely touch her when no one was around in the office and also check her phone to see whom she talks to. Adding that her boss would be responsible if anything untoward happened to her, the survivor sent the complaint to the area general manager (AGM) in August 2020.
Despite the seriousness of the case, then AGM Abhaschandra Singh set up a one-member inquiry committee comprising a male officer, instead of handing over the case to ICC.
The officer took statements of the survivor and witnesses, but the latter are unaware of any action taken post that. “The management has not replied to my complaint and the matter has been suppressed,” the complainant told TOI.
Another employee from Rayyatwari sub-area had filed a sexual harassment complaint against senior officer SN Ojha in April 2020. She stated that he used to make scurrilous claims and talk to her in obscene language. The complaint described Ojha’s comments on the survivor’s clothes, body and sexual life, and how she was mentally harassed at the workplace.
The employee had demanded transfer to Nagpur to escape the torture. A single-member committee of a woman officer carried out inquiry, but no outcome was reported to the INTUC. “The survivor was transferred to Nagpur and her case suppressed,” said KK Singh.
Yet another employee from Padmapur sub-area filed a complaint on April 1, 2021, accusing seniors and co-workers of exploitation, public insult and mental torture. The management neither initiated any inquiry nor forwarded her case to ICC.
Dhanorkar said she took up all three cases with AGM Muhammad Sabir, who assured to resolve them in 15 days. Sabir, who is on leave, said he had instructed officials to gather details of each case, and that he would review the complaints and issue appropriate directives on his return.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)