Even as the Goa Police went at breakneck speed to register an FIR against Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal for sexually assaulting a junior colleague, here’s one instance of sexual harassment at workplace which appears to have slipped under the radar on the same day.
Deputy Inspector General OP Mishra said on Saturday that the Panaji police station would be probing the allegations made on November 17, even as the Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting has also announced an enquiry into the incident.
The 25-year-old victim, who was working as a programmer at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) had accused an MIB director of not so subtle lewd comments directed at her.
The student working as part of the IFFI had filed a complaint after the festival began. Top festival officials have reportedly been summoned to the police station for formal enquiries into the incident.
“We have seen press reports. local police has been asked to conduct a preliminary enquiry. On the basis of enquiry we will proceed on it,” Mishra said. “He said let’s go for a drink together. let’s drink and do everything,” the victim has said in her complaint for the festival director Shankar Mohan.
Acting on the complaint Mohan initially formed a three-member all-women committee, which began speaking to both the complainant and the accused, but according to him found no reasonable ground to recommend action against the deputy director. He has since been sent back to New Delhi.
The victim, who Mohan said, had thanked the festival organisers for setting up the committee has also left for New Delhi after the hearing. “I cannot reveal any more information because investigations are on,” Mishra further said.