Panel set up to probe sexual harassment complaints in courts

A committee has been set up to look into complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace in Allahabad High Court, its bench in Lucknow and district courts across the state.

“The committee has been set up by the Chief Justice of the High Court in accordance with the provisions of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013,” the High Court's Registrar (Confidential) D K Singh said.

He added that the panel -- 'Internal Complaints Committee' will be headed by Justice Bharti Sapru, the senior-most woman judge of the High Court. 

“Other members will include Justices Naheed Ara Moonis and Sunita Agarwal - the two other woman judges of the High Court - besides some other distinguished members of the Bench.

A woman professor of the Allahabad University has also been included in the Committee, he said. 

­“All complaints of sexual harassment at workplace at the Allahabad High Court, the Lucknow Bench of the High Court and district courts across the state will fall under the purview of the new Committee.

In cases relating to complaints against advocates, the Committee has been empowered to co-opt one or more member of the Bar at its discretion, Singh, who has been nominated as the coordinator of the Committee, said.