12 sexual harassment cases under probe, says Air India

As many as 12 cases of alleged sexual harassment has been filed before various internal complaints committees of Air India, Pradeep Singh Kharola, chairman and managing director of the airways informed the Union women and child ministry on Thursday.

Kharola parted the information at a meeting convened by the Union women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi to review the progress of sexual harassment cases in Air India and Air India Express.

HT had reported on August 17 that the ministry has called the national carrier’s chairman and managing director to its office on August 23 to explain the delay in disposing of the complaints registered with its committees.

“It was also pointed out that there are a number of cases forwarded by the ministry pertaining to private airlines to the ministry of civil aviation,” a ministry statement said. During the meeting the minister requested the Air India CMD to sensitise its male employees so that their women colleagues do not feel threatened or insecure in any manner at workplace.

Air India has refused to comment on the issue.After reviewing the cases and the progress of work done by the Internal Complaints Committees (ICC), Gandhi said that along with the cases of sexual harassment, some women employees tend to file complaints of administrative nature in the garb of sexual harassment. “It is important for the ICC to quickly dispose of these cases. This will enable the woman, if she has a genuine grievance, to explore proper administrative/legal mechanisms for redressal. It will also enable the ICCs to focus on actual cases,” the minister said.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace act mandates that every employer set up an ICC headed by a senior woman employee.