Lawrence Milton| TNN | 

Representative ImageRepresentative Image
Mysuru: A woman employee attached to the city KSRTC wing filed a police complaint that her senior colleague was sexually harassing her.

She claimed she didn’t get any support from her colleagues and seniors when she complained to them and left with no options, she had to go to the cops for protection. Police have taken up the case against Maqsood Ahammed, assistant traffic manager, ITS office, City bus stand, and are probing the allegations.

Devaraja police inspector S Nagesh said the woman, in her complaint, accused Maqsood of inappropriately touching her and texting indecent messages, besides telephoning her and asking to come out of the office without any reason. Devaraja sub-division ACP Rajashekar is investigating the case.

Naming colleagues with whom she shared her agony, the woman said she received no support from them even though she showed them Maqsood’s messages. She also complained to the labour officer but to no avail, the complaint said.

She met Devaraja police with her husband and filed the complaint on Tuesday.

KSRTC divisional controller (urban) K Ramamurthy said the internal complaints committee which looks into cases of sexual harassment against women initiated measures as soon as the complaint was received. A written complaint was filed on Monday, he said.

Ramamurthy, head, KSRTC city wing, said the complainant hadn’t met him or brought the issue to his notice. “It has now come to my notice and I have asked the all-woman panel comprising women staff and non-KSRTC staff to look into the issue. The complainant was recently posted to the ITS office at the City bus stand on technical grounds and she earlier worked as a conductor,” he said.

A source said though she had informed her immediate seniors about the harassment orally, the authorities concerned didn’t act on her complaint but waited for the formal written complaint on Monday.

Maqsood was booked under provisions of IPC and SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Amendment Act 2015. The punishment for assault or criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty is not less than a year and for stalking, the minimum sentence is three years in jail, according to provisions of IPC.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/KSRTC-staffer-charges-senior-with-sexual-harassment/articleshow/52862214.cms