State Women’s Commission Chairperson Pramila Nesargi has written to the National Commission for Women terming the allegations made against her by NCW member Nirmala Venkatesh “unwarranted” and “unfortunate.”
In her letter dated July 30, Ms Nesargi has written to the Secretary, NCW that the claims made by Ms Venkatesh in a press meet in Mysore recently are not  “borne out of records.”
Ms Venkatesh had reportedly said that nurse Jayalakshmi, who had charged MLA Renukacharya with sexual harassment, did not get any relief from the State Women’s Commission, where she had initially lodged a complaint against the legislator early this year. “The Commission did not give her an impartial hearing also,” she had alleged.
“She said that Ms Jayalakshmi had raised doubts regarding the impartiality of the enquiry by the KSCW. It is false. The entire proceedings were recorded, and I have not received any complaints from Jayalakshmi,” She said.
Ms Venkatesh also reportedly told the reporters that despite a notice to the KSCW by Jayalakshmi seeking to withdraw her complaint, the Commission is still going on with the inquiry. “This is baseless as so far we have not received any written notice from Jayalakshmi. In fact, after the first complaint that she had lodged, she did not show up for the hearing. The Commission is inquiring into the complaint filed by Suma, wife of Renukacharya. In response to Suma’s complaint, Jayalakshmi had given us a list of witnesses, whom she wanted us to examine. Later, she wrote to us asking us not to go ahead with it. We dropped the list,” she said.
“Ms Venkatesh also said that the NCW has summoned me on August 2 to Delhi in this regard. So far I have not received any communication from the NCW. There’s a meeting of chairpersons of States Women’s Commissions in Delhi on August 2. And for that I have received a formal invitation from the NCW,” she said. Ms Nesargi said Ms Venkatesh is attacking her to “settle personal scores.”
“Last year my office had sent her a legal notice after my client Shubha from Hosur approached us alleging that Ms Venkatesh was trying to get her husband remarried. I sent a copy of the legal notice to the NCW and requested them to take action against Ms Venkatesh for encouraging bigamy. She is now trying to get at me by fabricating false charges,” said Ms Nesargi adding that she may even take legal recourse and file a defamation case against the NCW member for calling her names.