M A I N   N E W S

Scientist at top research unit alleges sexual harassment
Serves a notice on ICRISAT management for failing to respond to her grouse
Suresh Dharur
Tribune News Service

No action: Victim A 28-year-old scientist at International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics said she had lodged a complaint with the management after the incident in January 2013 but it had failed to take any action. The scientist claimed that she and the person "responsible for the trauma" caused to her continued to be working in the same department despite specific rules which make it mandatory for the complainant and the accused to be separated in the workplace The young scientist said she had complained to the governing board about the incident. Though she agreed not to pursue the case, if the accused tendered an unconditional public apology, it never happened

Hyderabad, January 4
A prestigious global research organisation here is caught in an unsavoury controversy with a woman scientist alleging sexual harassment by a senior colleague and serving a legal notice on the management for failing to respond properly to her complaint.

A 28-year-old scientist at International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) said she had lodged a complaint with the management after the incident in January 2013 but it had failed to take any action. The scientist claimed that she and the person “responsible for the trauma” caused to her continued to be working in the same department despite specific rules which make it mandatory for the complainant and the accused to be separated in the workplace

The young scientist stated that she had complained to the governing board of ICRISAT about the incident. Though she agreed not to pursue the case, if the accused tendered an unconditional public apology, it never happened.

The management had failed to nominate women members to the committee, including an NGO, and take action against the accused, she alleged.

In reply to her legal notice, board chairman NJ Poole said they would request the management to reopen and reassess the complaint afresh. In a press release, ICRISAT said the management had taken appropriate action in the case.

"The person concerned has apologised to the complainant and the apology was accepted by the complainant. This is also mentioned in the media report. On further request by the complainant to re-open the case, the board readily agreed to the request and this was conveyed to the complainant," the release said.

The case would be reopened and further investigation would be taken up, said an ICRISAT official.

The complainant charged the management with trying to hush up the issue and wash its hands off without taking mandatory actions prescribed by law such as ensuring a woman member in the commission and the presence of a representative of a neutral NGO.

"ICRISAT failed to take appropriate action to prevent further victimisation by the accused, the woman scientist, an MSc and PhD in agricultural sciences," the legal notice said. Working under the same circumstance gives a window of opportunity to the accused to take every possible step to ensure that the workplace becomes uncomfortable to the complainant, it said. Poole, however, in the reply, said the accused had tendered an apology which was accepted by the complainant and the issue was resolved at that time and the case was closed. "In so far as failure to prevent further harassment and alleged victimisation issues are concerned, your client did not seek transfer from the unit and in fact she was not immediately answerable to the accused per se," the ICRISAT reply said.