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| 2 yrs on, Justice remains elusive for sexually harassed KAS officer | | | Early Times Report
srinagar, April 10: At a time when a senior J&K bureaucrat is facing trial in a sexual harassment case in New Delhi, serious questions have begun to haunt the state government over why it shielded the culprit for so long that the victim had to seek justice from the court of law.
A subordinate female officer had two years ago accused the bureaucrat in question of sexually harassing her and had filed a detailed complaint against him at her parent department in Civil Secretariat.
Both officials at the time of alleged incident were posted outside the state. However, even after repeated complaints by the victim, the government failed to initiate any action against the accused officer, absolving him of all his wrongdoings.
On January 20, 2015, the victim, a KAS officer had informed the superiors of the department against the harassment being meted out to her by the accused.
As per reports, a committee was later constituted by the department to inquire into the allegations against the accused. The very constitution of the committee was illegal because it was set up after the incident, while it was mandatory for the state administration to have Vishakha Committee in place in accordance with the guidelines of the Supreme Court.
There were voices of concern being heard even then that the committee was not only illegal but also biased against the victim from the very outset. Despite several requests by the victim to help her in collecting evidence against the accused who was in possession of all documentary evidences by virtue of his position, nothing was done. Later the female officer approached the court of law to get justice.
The claims of the victim that the government was trying to shield the culprit, meanwhile, were vindicated by a Delhi court last year in November when it pointed out that the investigating officer of the case has deliberately tried to eclipse statements of various important witnesses who had testified against the accused.
Pertinently, these witnesses include two female KAS officers and a legislator who was a junior minister in the Jammu and Kashmir collation.
As per the reports, the government instead of giving justice to victim tried its every bit to shield the accused who is presently enjoying a plum posting at the Jammu and Kashmir's Civil Secretariat. "This is sheer injustice to the victim that even after two years have passed, justice remains elusive and the victim is made to suffer in the court of the law. The government should have prioritized its efforts to collect the evidence against the accused officer and deliver stern and exemplary punishment to the accused. However, there are hidden hands patronizing the accused inside the corridors of power," sources privy to the case divulged.
It was informed further that till the verdict of the case, the government shouldn't have given a plum posting to the accused and should have sided with the victim. However, as per the officials, the victim was left in lurch while as the entire dispensation seems to be siding with the accused. |
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