e-cigarette review NEWS: Babu sacked for sexual harassment

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Babu sacked for sexual harassment

MUMBAI: In perhaps the first such case in the country, Maharashtra government has sacked a senior bureaucrat on charges of sexual harassment. Labour welfare commissioner Mohan Dhotre, a Class I officer, had been facing a probe since 2003 which ended with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan giving his consent to the dismissal. The state administration served the sack order on Tuesday.

Following an inquiry initiated against Dhotre, in 2003, the labour welfare commissioner then approached the Bombay high court, challenging the department's decision to conduct a probe. In 2004, the HC, while hearing the order, had allowed the inquiry to proceed but directed that no action be taken for four weeks if the probe report was adverse.

"The four week time began from January 31," said a senior labour department official. If Dhotre fails to approach court within the stipulated time, then the order will immediately come into effect, the official added.

Reacting to the notice, Dhotre said, "The inquiry against me was initiated in 2003. The departmental probe was completed in 2006. Thereafter showcause notice was served in 2008. I had appealed against the order. While hearing my appeal, the labour minister directed to stop two increments of mine, but the order was never implemented. I feel that injustice is being done to me as the labour department did not put all the facts pertaining to the case before the chief minister, who has given his approval for dismissing me from the service."

When asked would he challenge the state government's notice, Dhotre said, "I have not decided." In 2003, a female lower division clerk had accused Dhotre of sexual harassment. She alleged that the labour commissioner kept seeking sexual favours from her.

Sanjeevani Kutty, an IAS officer then was in-charge of the state labour department conducted a probe and found Dhotre guilty. As the inquiry report kept moving at a snail pace from one desk to another in Mantralaya, the aggrieved women wrote to National Human Right's Commission which asked the state government to seek an explanation on the status of the case and inordinate delay in bringing the culprit to book.

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