Woman facing mental, physical harassment at workplace approaches HC

A woman employee of the Tamil Nadu forest department has approached the Madras High Court, alleging that her office in-charge has been abusing her mentally and physically.

In her plea, she has demanded installation of CCTV cameras at workplace to ensure protection.

The woman has been working in the Madukarai Range (Coimbatore district).

When the plea was taken up Thursday, Justice S Vimala issued a notice to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), returnable by two weeks.

The petitioner said that she has been working as a computer operator since March 2017 and alleged that a forester, also her office in-charge, began harassing her verbally and physically.

The woman said since she was the only woman employee, she could not share the details of the harassment with anyone.

Later, the woman said she lodged a complaint with the forest ranger but he failed to act and she continued facing the ordeal.

Then she raised the matter with the district forest officer who in turn forwarded the complaint to the internal complaints committee headed by a woman officer.

But the petitioner alleged that some men stalled the inquiry by transferring the woman officer, forcing her to approach the court.