MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has refused to quash disciplinary proceedings initiated against a section superintendent in Madurai District Police Office (DPO) in 2020 for allegedly sexually harassing two women colleagues.
Justice B Pugalendhi passed the order recently while disposing of a petition filed by the section superintendent challenging the charge memo and the appointment of inquiry officer.
The petitioner contended that according to the complainants, the alleged incident was said to have taken place in 2006 but the complaints were lodged only in 2019 and were therefore hit by limitation under section 9 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Justice Pugalendhi pointed out that one of the victims had stated in her complaint that the petitioner continuously harassed her since 2006 and thus, the complaint is not barred by limitation.
He also observed that the petitioner’s apprehensions regarding the inquiry officer were unwarranted.