Law intern ends life, alleges harassment by advocates

A 26-year-old law graduate from Andaman and Nicobar Islands interning with a city-based law firm committed suicide on Saturday, alleging harassment by her seniors against whom she had filed a sexual harassment complaint on November 20.

The deceased, Pushpa Archana Lall, a native of Port Blair, had joined as an intern with Jayanth M Pattanshetti and Associates on Infantry Road in 2017 under Chandra Naik T, a senior advocate.

In her complaint to the Commercial Street police three days ago, she stated that Naik introduced her to Chetan Desai who was a High Court government pleader. The two used to take Puspha out to pubs on the pretext of discussing cases. After a few drinks, they would ask her personal details and start touching her inappropriately, according to the complaint. The duo also used to show obscene content on their phones.

When the victim objected, the two advocates would send abusive messages and even threaten her over the phone. Unable to bear the harassment, the victim stopped going to the office. She later joined a new firm in Malleswaram.

Pushpa, who consumed an overdose of sleeping pills, was found lying motionless at her room by hostel maid Manjula around 11.15 am on Saturday. The maid alerted the paying guest manager who informed the police. The police are probing whether the advocates threatened her to withdraw the complaint prompting her to take the extreme step.