Senior DD official accused of sexual harassment suspended

Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharati has suspended a senior Doordarshan official against whom a sexual harassment complaint had been made by a colleague.

Sources told PTI that Prasar Bharati yesterday released an order suspending the officer and asked a senior lady offical, who is higher in rank than the accused official, to conduct further proceedings in the matter.

A team of National Commission of Women (NCW), led by its member Charu Wali Khanna, had met Prasar Bharati top brass, on Friday, and enquired about the details of the matter.

Earlier, acting on the complaint against the senior officer by a junior colleague who had accused him of using abusive language and inappropriate behaviour, Doordarshan had set up an inquiry committee.

After the submission of the inquiry committee report, the official was served a chargesheet and asked to respond. The I~~amp;amp;B Ministry had also taken a serious note of the matter.

In a letter to Prasar Bharati, the Ministry had said the "inquiry committee is of the view there exists a prima facie case of sexual harrasment" and sought that action should be taken as per the procedure laid in the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar said the decision was an adminstrative one which had been taken collectively.

He said initially it was decided to move the official away from Doordarshan and make him do certain other work. Later, on the basis of careful considerations, a final decision was collectively taken that in view of the proceedings, it would be appropriate to suspend the officer. NCW member Khanna said that on the basis of media reports, the commission had taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged sexual harassment of a colleague by a senior Doordarshan officer, and will submit its report tomorrow.

"We had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports regarding the allegations against the officer, and also visited the Prasar Bharati office yesterday. We will submit our report by Monday," Khanna said.

Earlier, NCW chairperson Mamata Sharma had written to Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar, requesting a probe into the matter.