Seven months after he first approached the police about the alleged caste-based harassment at his workplace, the BKC police on Thursday recorded a formal statement of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Viplav Babu.
The Hindu had on October 3 reported how Mr. Babu, a former assistant central intelligence officer posted at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, had written to the police and other agencies, alleging sustained harassment on the basis of his caste. He was suspended on April 1 and dismissed from service on September 25 after his superior, Hrishikesh Pathak, instituted a departmental inquiry against him.
Apart from an application that he had submitted to the BKC police on March 14, Mr. Babu had submitted two applications in September and October following his dismissal. Mr. Babu has sought action against his former superiors Tapa Bhattacharya and Mr. Pathak for allegedly harassing him, instituting a false inquiry against him, and taking action against him on trumped-up charges. He has further accused Mr. Pathak of assaulting him at the IB’s office in BKC.
“On March 14, when the departmental inquiry was set up against me, I went to the office to appear for the same. During this time, when I was alone in a room, Mr. Pathak came in and slapped me, after which he said he would get me killed. I started shouting for help and other staff members came rushing in to see what was wrong,” Mr. Babu has said in his statement, adding he had approached the police at the time, but Mr. Pathak used his influence to suppress the matter. The statement also accused Mr. Pathak of making derogatory comments about Mr. Babu’s caste, which allegedly began when he asked for a change in his shift timings as antisocial elements near his Antop Hill quarters were harassing his wife at night.
“Let your wife get raped, what do I care? Resign from your job if you have a problem. You people will get a job anywhere despite scoring less marks,” Mr. Pathak is alleged to have said, according to the statement.
Senior police inspector Pradeep Kadam, BKC police station, said no FIR has been registered in the matter as yet. “We have recorded Mr. Babu’s statement and are conducting inquiries.”
