High Court slaps Rs 50,000 fine on woman for false sexual harrasment complaint

NEW DELHI | July 14, 2019 (IANS):

The Delhi High Court has slapped a Rs 50,000-fine on a woman for filing a false complaint of sexual misconduct against her male colleague.

A single judge bench of the court presided by Justice J.R. Midha on July 9 dismissed the petition and imposed the cost on the petitioner. The court directed her to deposit the cost with Delhi High Court Advocates Welfare Trust.

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The petitioner had challenged an order passed by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and sought dismissal of retirement benefits granted to the man against whom she had filed the complaint.

Alleging sexual misconduct by her senior in 2011, she had contended that the man had made sexual advances towards her.

Following the complaint, an Internal Complaints Committee was formed to probe the allegations wherein the man had refuted to the allegations in the complaint.

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The man had said that the said complaint was a "result of a grudge against him due to certain official work disposed of by him in her absence."

The committee had observed that the exact content of communication of the incident could not be established and gave the benefit of doubt to the man.

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After noting the record of the inquiry proceedings, the bench was of the view that the woman's complaint appeared to be false following which it dismissed the plea.

The court also gave liberty to the woman's employer to initiate appropriate action against her for filing a frivolous complaint.