‘Complete sexual harassment plaint against Forest officials expeditiously’

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the State police to complete the investigation into a sexual harassment complaint against senior Forest Department officials.

Prolonging the investigation may affect the future of the officials, said Justice G Jayachandran while directing the police to complete the investigation expeditiously and file a report. But the judge refused the woman’s plea seeking to transfer the case to CB-CID, noting that the court had no doubt that the police would fail in any manner while conducting the inquiry and added that the investigation would be done in all fairness.

According to the petitioner, the Chief Conservator of Forest, Tiruchy; Conservator of Forest, Vellore; and Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests of Nagaland sexually harassed her when she was employed in the Forest Department in Tiruchy.

In 2019, the petitioner lodged a with the Forest Department against the officials. Subsequently, the matter was taken up by the Internal Complaints Committee. Though the committee filed a report after completing the investigation, no action was taken against the officials, said the petitioner. Hence, the petitioner knocked on the court's door seeking to transfer the case to the CB-CID.

When the matter came up for hearing, one of the respondents who is still in service submitted that prolonging the investigation could affect his career prospects and sought a direction to complete the investigation within a reasonable time.

The police submitted the telephonic conversation between the petitioner and officials was sent to forensic test and they were awaiting the report to continue the investigation.