FIR against MSRTC DGM after consulting firm employee alleges sexual harassment

A elder constabulary serviceman said that an FIR under section 354(A) II of the Indian Penal Code that deals with intersexual harassment by requests for intersexual favours by promising preferential attraction successful employment had been registered against Veerendra Kadam, Deputy General Manager (Information & Technology) astatine MSRTC.

As per MSRTC, portion Kadam (59) had retired successful March this year, helium was granted a 18-month hold by the government.

After the FIR was registered, a elder constabulary serviceman astatine Nagpada constabulary presumption said that they person begun a probe successful the substance and person started signaling statements of the complainant’s colleagues.

MSRTC spokesperson Abhijeet Bhosle said that “an Internal Committee is probing the substance and the study should beryllium retired soon”.

When contacted, the MSRTC president and MD, Madhav Kusekar said, “I person asked the committee to taxable the study time based connected which we volition instrumentality further action.”

Kadam’s telephone was switched-off and adjacent messages sent to him did not elicit immoderate effect till the clip of going to press.

In her ailment submitted astatine her workplace connected May 31, 2024, the pistillate alleged that connected May 29 astatine astir 4.30pm, Kadam called her and different workfellow to sermon work-related issues wherever others were besides present. After the discussion, portion everyone left, Kadam asked her to enactment backmost and subsequently called for tea, she stated.

“ Suddenly, retired of nowhere, Mr Kadam approached maine and made sexually suggestive comments, implying that my nonrecreational advancement wrong the organisation would beryllium contingent upon my willingness to beryllium much accommodating to his advances,” she said successful her complaint.

He besides claimed that galore seniors had reached higher positions by “compromising” and “sacrificing”, she stated successful her ailment to MSRTC which the interior committee was inquiring upon.

She further alleged that portion she tried to alteration the topic, helium continued with the verbal harassment and told her that “at specified a young age, I should not beryllium acrophobic astir my quality and absorption connected vocation maturation only”. She added that helium besides told her helium was “ready to publication a country successful SAHIL edifice connected the coming Saturday (01/06/2024)”.

She added that she expressed her discomfort by moving distant and saying that specified behaviour was not acceptable. “…while conversing with him, helium leaned uncomfortably adjacent to my neck. I was successful a authorities of daze and near the room,” she said.

The complainant further said that Kadam called her connected telephone again astatine 6pm connected the aforesaid day, citing helium would inquire her task manager to beforehand her to which she said determination was nary request for that. “He further asked astir the connection (sexual favours) fixed by him to which I intelligibly stated NO twice. He, however, asked maine to rethink the substance and springiness a affirmative response,” she stated adding she hung up the telephone saying she would talk later.

She added, “ The interaction of this connected my nonrecreational beingness has been profound. I find myself anxious, dreading immoderate enactment with Mr Kadam.” After her ailment was forwarded to MSRTC, an Internal Committee (IC) looked into it connected June 4, she said.

On August 6, she wrote a missive to the Transport Department, successful which she alleged that the IC was changed instantly and committee members adjacent to oregon related to Kadam were inducted. She alleged that an effort was made to enactment unit connected an IC subordinate by filing a cheating lawsuit but the section Nagpada constabulary said it was a civilian matter.

Responding to this allegation, Kusekar said, “We changed the committee to accommodate elder members arsenic immoderate of the erstwhile members were of the aforesaid seniority arsenic the Kadam.”

Not satisfied with the IC that was probing her complaint, she approached the Nagpada constabulary connected Tuesday pursuing which an FIR was registered against Kadam.

The woman, successful her complaint, further said that she has verifiable proofs with her specified arsenic telephone recordings of Kadam (on the time of the incident) successful which helium tin beryllium heard offering her promotion. She said that she has already submitted them with the police. The serviceman astatine the Nagpada constabulary confirmed this.

On Thursday, constabulary recorded the statements of her colleagues and besides conducted a panchnama of Kadam’s compartment wherever the alleged incidental took place.