NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine whether high courts have powers to transfer to another state the inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment pending with internal complaints committee (ICC) as also the criminal case lodged with the police in the incident.
A bench comprising Justices Indu Malhotra and R Subhash Reddy issued the notice while hearing an appeal by an IPS officer challenging the Madras High Court’s order transferring the inquiry by an ICC under provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Woman at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 as well as an FIR lodged against him by a senior lady police officer to Telangana for fair, independent and unbiased probe.
The apex court also stayed the high court’s August 28 order transferring the enquiry to Telengana and slated the hearing for next week.
The 44-year-old lady officer, who was posted as Superintendent of Police in Tamil Nadu, had filed sexual harassment complaint in August last year against a senior IPS officer posted in Chennai.
An ICC was constituted to enquire into the complaint.
Later, the lady lodged an FIR against him.
The HC transferred the ICC inquiry and FIR to Telangana.