Mumbai: BJP Corporators To Meet BMC Chief Ashwini Bhide Seeking Suspension Of Officer Accused In Sexual Harassment Case

Mumbai, May 12: The BJP corporators will meet Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Wednesday demanding a departmental inquiry, followed by suspension of administrative officer Irfan Pathan, 55, against whom an FIR has been lodged for sexual harassment by a newly recruited female employee posted in the Municipal Commissioner’s office.

Seven days after the FIR was registered at the Azad Maidan Police Station, the BMC administration is yet to take any strict action against Pathan.

BJP corporators seek immediate departmental inquiry

"For his suspension, the charges placed against him need to be proven first. The POSH committee has already begun its inquiry. We will meet the Municipal Commissioner on Tuesday and demand an immediate departmental inquiry against Pathan," said a senior BJP corporator.

At the same time, angered staff at the civic body are hoping for Pathan's arrest and suspension following the complaint to prevent other people, especially women, from his alleged misconduct.

However, the police have released him after issuing a notice, and the BMC administration has only transferred him from the Commissioner’s office as immediate action.

Questions raised over Pathan’s whereabouts

Civic sources said Pathan has either gone on sick leave and admitted himself to Nair Hospital to evade arrest or is absconding. However, Nair Hospital confirmed to the FPJ on Tuesday that he is not admitted to the hospital, but said it could not immediately confirm if he is undergoing OPD treatment.

The FPJ had reported on Tuesday that the POSH committee at the BMC, technically known as the Internal Committee under India's Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, has begun its inquiry and questioning of eyewitnesses in the case. The victim has not officially lodged a complaint with the BMC's POSH committee, but directly registered an FIR.

POSH inquiry underway at BMC

The POSH inquiry at the BMC started after the case was referred to them by Savitribai Phule Women’s Resource Centre’s Internal Complaints Committee.

BJP MLC Chitra Wagh, who had brought the matter to the notice of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and Mayor Ritu Tawde, had also said that the accused should not only be arrested and suspended, but dismissed from duty, adding that she will be following the matter closely with Bhide, Tawde, Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar, and Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde.

Victim alleges harassment and stalking

In the FIR registered on May 5 at the Azad Maidan Police Station, the victim, who joined the service in the BMC on compensatory grounds only a couple of months ago, accused Pathan of harassment, inappropriate behaviour, workplace misconduct, and stalking outside the office. She also accused him of sending her letters, unwanted messages, and issuing memos against her without any valid reason.

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Officials from the BMC headquarters said that Pathan did not have good conduct at the workplace and several other employees were troubled by his behaviour. They opined that he should be arrested and suspended on an immediate basis to possibly stop harassment of more people, especially women.

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