The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notices to Information and Broadcast Ministry and Prasar Bharti on a petition alleging sexual harassment of women employees at the work place. Issuing notice to the CEO of Prasar Bharti, a Division Bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice VK Jain sought response into the matter by May 15. The court was hearing a PIl filed by social worker Meera Mishra through advocate Sugriva Dubey, alleging that female employees of AIR FM Gold channel were facing sexual exploitation at workplace. According to the petition, Mishra found out about the harassment of these employees through media reports.
Referring to the reports, the petitioner said though these employees have been working with the channel for past several years, they were sexually harassed and their services were terminated without any reason.
“Female employees working under the control of I&B Ministry and Prasar Bharti are being regularly either harassed or terminated from the employment and those workers do not have the capacity to approach the court and their right is being evaded and no one is there to stop the sexual harassment of these employees,” the petition said. The complaint alleged biased and unprofessional behavior by the programme executives at the radio station and specifically named leela Dhar Mandloi, Director General of AIR for “attacking the self respect” of the women presenters of the channel.
The plea sought directions saying “strong measures should be taken by the Central Government and Prasar Bharti to stop the sexual discrimination, exploitation and harassment taking place at their work place in the office of AIR throughout the country”.
AIRBPA has alleged that the staff on duty was sometimes misbehaved' with the women employees, but officials of AIR are not bothered about it.