JOIN US A women assistant producer of Doordarshan has accused an additional director general (ADG) of the public broadcaster with sexually harassing her after the officer did not approve her proposal to send her documentary film for entry to national films awards.
The Delhi Police are investigating the case after the woman lodged a complaint against the official at Tilak Marg police station, seeking action against him under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act.
Before taking the matter to police, however, she lodged a complaint against the ADG with Doordarshan’s internal complaints committee where she did not make allegations of sexual harassment against the officer but accused him of “biased and negative behaviour” towards her.
In her complaint to DD on January 23, the woman accused the ADG of turning down her proposal to send her documentary film for entry to national film awards on some “unjustified” grounds in an effort to “suppress her talent.”
“It appears totally predetermined, biased, deliberate and dictatorial decision of the ADG. I am really shattered that even after putting forth my best for the organisation by winning various international awards and acclamations for my films, this time my hard work is being wasted,” she charged.
“I am not given proper recognition for my productions. The ADG is torturing me by crushing my zeal and spirit to produce good programmes in future. My professionalism and talent as a DD producer is being tarnished by his biased behaviour. I am being mentally harassed,” she added.
However, when the DD’s internal complaint committee conducted an enquiry into her complaint it observed that the producer lodged a complaint against the ADG due to “frustration” as her documentary was not approved for sending it for entry to national film awards.
On the committee’s recommendation, the producer was also shifted to DD Bharati from Doordarshan Kendra earlier this month.
“On the face of it this appears to be a case of communication gap, where a junior officer feels that her work is not being recognised and the rejection of entry of her documentary to the national film awards has been responsible for heartburn and affected morale, motivation and demeanour of the producer,” Director General of Doordarshan Vijaylaxmi Chhabra noted in the committee’s report.
According to a DD official, the assistant producer’s documentary was disapproved for entry to national film awards on various grounds including use of “copyrighted material”.
“It’s a false, malafide, malicious, concocted, engineered and tutored complaint. It’s a sinister design and a criminal conspiracy to malign my reputation and impeccable integrity and obviously to scuttle my promotion to the post of the DG Doordarshan,” the ADG told Deccan Herald, when contacted.
The producer lodged a complaint with the DD against the ADG two days after news about the officer being considered for his elevation to the post of DG, Doordarshan came to fore.