HC allows proceedings against senior aviation officer in sexual harassment case

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday stayed an order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and allowed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to proceed with departmental proceedings against a senior officer in an alleged sexual harassment case. The CAT had in August 2024 struck down the chargesheet served on the then Director of Airworthiness and had also directed the DGCA to grant him promotion, if he was entitled to it. (Shutterstock)
The DGCA had approached the high court, challenging the CAT order, stating that the allegations of sexual harassment were levelled by a contactual staff of the organisation against the officer when he was posted in Bengaluru, and the matter was referred to the ICC.
Additional solicitor general Anil Singh informed the court that after a preliminary inquiry conducted by the ICC, as contemplated under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act), based on the preliminary report of the ICC, charges were framed by the disciplinary authority and the same was served on the officer concerned.
The officer had challenged the issuance of chargesheet before the Mumbai bench of CAT, claiming that the proceeding was based on completely false allegations levelled after the contractual employee realised that her services were about to be terminated.
The Tribunal on August 2, 2024, struck down the chargesheet, observing that in a number of judgements, the Supreme Court has held that the ICC should frame the charges and serve the chargesheet on the delinquent officer.
The Tribunal held that the chargesheet was liable to be struck down, as it was prepared and served by the Disciplinary Authority of the DGCA, and not by the ICC. The Tribunal also allowed the officers' plea for promotion, observing that under the law laid down by the apex court, due promotion can be denied to a government employee only when a chargesheet is served on him, or he is under suspension, or criminal prosecution is initiated against him.
The Tribunal said since none of the eventualities existed, after striking down the chargesheet against the officer concerned, due promotion could not have been denied to him, and ordered the DGCA to grant him promotion to the post of deputy DGCA, if he was entitled to it.
A division bench of justice MS Karnik and justice NR Borkar, however, stayed the CAT order. 'We find that the charges levelled against respondent No 1 (Soni) are serious,' the bench said, while staying the CAT order. 'We do not find any prejudice to respondent No 1 as a consequence of Disciplinary Authority framing and issuing the chargesheet. In any case, respondent No 1 will get full opportunity to defend himself during the course of the inquiry and examination of the witnesses,' the judges added.