Sc Asks School To Bear Cost In Principal'S Sexual Harrasment Case

SC asks school to bear cost in principal's sexual harrasment case 1/5/2009 The Supreme Court has imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the Management of General B C Joshi Army Public School, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand for not following the Court’s guidelines regarding sexual harassment of women at workplace. A bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and Cyriac Joseph also directed the Uttarakhand High Court to constitute a three member committee headed by a lady to inquire into the allegations of sexual harassment made by the Principal of the school, Vimi Joshi, against the School’s Vice-Chairman Colonel Hitendra Bahadur who was posted as Deputy Commander, 69 Mountain Brigade Pithoragarh at the relevant time. The apex court in its judgement said, ‘as no complaint committee has been constituted, which was imperative in character, the High Court may appoint a three member committee headed by a lady, and in the event it is found the writ petitioner was subjected to sexual harassment, the report thereof may be sent to the Army authorities for initiation of disciplinary action against the appellant herein on the basis thereof.’ ‘The appeals are disposed of accordingly,’ the Court said. The Court also asked the high Court to consider the desirability of disposing of the writ petition as expeditiously as possible. As the school Management is guilty of violating the guidelines issued by this Court in Visakha Vs Rajasthan case, the Management may pay and bear all the cost of the first respondent, the court ruled. Counsel fee is assessed at Rs 50,000. Col Bahadur stationed at Sonmarg for providing security cover to pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra, allegedly wrote a letter to Ms Joshi confessing his love for her. The services of Ms Joshi were terminated by the school Management on December 4, 2004 when she lodged a complaint with the chairman of the school Brigadier D S Grewal. The apex court also referred to a bill called protection of women against sexual harassment at workplace Bill, 2007, which is yet to be introduced in Parliament. UNI

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