Pune police withhold name of firm’s MD in sexual harassment case
Mundhwa police said that the 33-year-old woman has alleged in her complaint that the 58-year-old MD sent her suggestive and lewd text messages and asked inappropriate questions, besides committing other transgressions.
The Pune police has decided not to reveal the name of the managing director of a prominent, Mundhwa-based steel firm, who was arrested and released on Wednesday on charges of sexual harassment, filed by his female secretary.
Mundhwa police said that the 33-year-old woman has alleged in her complaint that the 58-year-old MD sent her suggestive and lewd text messages and asked inappropriate questions, besides committing other transgressions.
“We have booked him under IPC 354(a) (sexual harassment) and 354(d) (stalking). We arrested him on Wednesday night, but he was bailed out. We cannot reveal the name of the company as it compromises the identity of the complainant,” senior police inspector (PI) Anil Patrudkar of Mundhwa police station, said.
The case is being investigated by police sub-inspector (PSI) Pratap L Giri of Mundhwa police chowky.
The woman has alleged that a week ago, the 58-year-old MD asked her to come to a room at a five star hotel in the city, after which she complained to the company authorities. The matter was then forwarded to the Vishakha committee of the steel company.
The committee is an internal committee mandated under section 13 of the sexual harassment at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) act, 2013. The provision requires the committee to file a report within 10 days of the completion of the inquiry in the matter and submit the findings to the district office.
The complainant is a married woman and had joined the company on December 18, 2017, as secretary to the accused. She first approached the police after being met with a non-satisfactory response from the committee.
Responding to HT, the company spokesperson did not deny police action, but refused to make an official statement on grounds that the matter was under scrutiny. The group of companies has stakes in steel, defence, automotive parts and energy, among other sectors.