Sexual harassment case against IRT dean: HC directs institute

The Madras High Court today directed the Institute of Road Transport (IRT) at Taramani to set up an independent committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against the dean of IRT Perundurai Medical College and Hospital in Erode district.
A staff nurse of the hospital had filed a petition alleging sexual harassment by the dean.
Justice S M Subramaniam directed the IRT director to appoint an independent committee under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 to conduct "a fair and free inquiry in respect of the allegations set out by the petitioner."

The petitioner had sought a direction to the Director of IRT and the Director of Medical Education to constitute an Internal Complaints Committee as per the Act and hold an inquiry into the complaint.
According to the counsel of the nurse, who is a Dalit Christian, she joined the medical college in 1996.
The dean, against whom sexual harassment allegations have been made, joined as a ward doctor and used to behave indecently to her under the guise of visiting the patients.
She gave a complaint to the director and a copy of the complaint was sent to the Chief Minister's Cell which was received by the Director of Medical Education following which the police recorded her statement on November 4 last year when she was on duty.

The counsel said no action has been taken even after eight months and so the present petition was filed.