HYDERABAD: Ruling that the Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has no jurisdiction to inquire into complaints against private companies or their employees, the Telangana High Court held that the commission’s powers under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 are confined to allegations involving public servants or negligence by public servants in preventing human rights violations.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin delivered the ruling while allowing two writ petitions filed by Wells Fargo International Solutions, which challenged the human rights commission’s decision to entertain a complaint filed by a former female employee.
The employee had approached the commission in 2020, alleging workplace harassment and inaction by the company’s management. After the TGHRC, in 2025, held that it had jurisdiction to examine the complaint, the company challenged the order before the court.
Examining the scope of the commission’s powers under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the bench held that it can investigate only allegations of human rights violations by a public servant or negligence by a public servant in preventing such violations.
Since private entities and their employees do not fall within the ambit of the provision, the commission cannot exercise jurisdiction over such complaints, it said.
The bench further observed that a statutory authority cannot assume powers beyond those conferred by the legislature.
It added that disputes relating to employment, workplace harassment, performance assessments and similar issues arise out of the employer-employee relationship and must be adjudicated by forums created under the relevant laws.
While acknowledging that allegations of workplace harassment against women are serious and require proper adjudication, the High Court clarified that such grievances should be pursued under the appropriate statutory mechanisms, including the law governing the prevention of sexual harassment of women at workplace.
Making it clear that the complainant remains free to pursue appropriate legal remedies before the competent forum, the high court set aside the TGHRC’s common orders.
