Woman constable alleges sexual harassment

A woman police constable in Lucknow has alleged that she was sexually harassed by a senior inspector while she held the position of a clerk under him at the Reserve Police Line in the city. Even after a week of her complaint, FIR has not been registered.

A resident of Rampur, the 1997 batch constable, who was recently transferred to a mahila thana, told The Hindu that Lucknow Police Reserve Lines RI Kulbushan Ojha harassed her sexually and molested her.

“Using the clout of his position, he made sexual advances towards me,” she said. When she objected, she alleged, he slapped her.

Even after this incident, Mr. Ojha continued to harass and threaten her. She was denied medical leave and transferred last week, she said. On September 20, Mr. Ojha again made sexual advances towards her and told her that if she gave in, all her problems would be solved, she alleged. The following day, the constable submitted a complaint to SSP Lucknow, who handed the case to a Circle Officer to probe. The constable then sent a complaint to DIG Lucknow. However, no action has been taken yet.

She was made to sit in the Mahanagar police station for up to four hours on Thursday, yet police did not lodge an FIR. When she went to the police station on Friday with a social activist, she only received a yellow receipt, an acknowledgment of her complaint. SP Trans-Gomti Habibul Hasan said an FIR would be registered after the inquiry was completed.

The constable alleged that the inspector had a reputation of harassment and several other female constables had been victimised. “It is his own saying that,

‘Yahan mahila aati hai meri marzi sey, aur jati hey meri marzi sey’ (Here, women come and go as I like),”she alleged.

Allegations dismissed

Mr. Ojha dismissed the allegations and questioned the timing of the complaint.

“She has been working under me for 10 months. And it was only after she was transferred to mahila thana that she has made the allegation. If anything had happened why didn’t she complain earlier? Why didn’t she share it with anyone?” he asked.

He said the complaint was motivated by her displeasure with him at being transferred to a mahila thana. “She was not the only one to be transferred. There were 300 others. She was not happy that I did not overturn her transfer. She requested me to overturn it. But it was not under me to decide such things. I only followed protocol.” he said.

Mr. Ojha also said it was an attempt by her to cover up her neglect of duty.