Ex-DG of Archives summoned in molestation case

Former Director General of Archives S M R Baqar has been summoned by a Delhi court to appear before it on January 22 for allegedly molesting and intimidating one of his junior woman colleague.
The court rejected a cancellation report filed by police regarding Baqar, saying "prima facie" a case is made out against him.
Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain summoned Baqar after taking cognisance of the offences under sections 354(outraging the modesty of a woman) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
The court, however, "partly accepted" the report with regard to a woman, then working as a Junior Administrative Officer (JAO) in Baqar's office, in connection with an FIR registered against her and Baqar on a complaint of an employee, working as a lower division clerk in the National Archives of India, Ministry of Culture.

"Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, cancellation report filed by the police is partly accepted by the court qua respondent number two (JAO). However, prima facie case under sections 354/506 IPC is made out against the respondent number one (Baqar) in lieu of allegations made against him by the complainant.
"As such, while taking cognizance of offences u/s 354/506 of IPC against respondent number one, this court orders for issuance of summons against him for January 22, 2014," the court said.

It observed that there were specific allegations against Baqar regarding sexual harassment and it cannot be discarded at this stage merely on findings of the investigating officer.

The woman had alleged that police had carried out shoddy probe and investigating officer had overlooked the material aspects.
An FIR was lodged after a court had directed the police to register a criminal case against Baqar and his colleague in May 2009 on the woman's complaint.