Jagriti Hazra v. Union Of India & ORS

AD. 45.

March 31, 2022.

MNS.

WPA No. 18299 of 2019 Jagriti Hazra Vs.

Union of India and others Mr. Srijib Chakraborty, Mr. Pankaj Agarwal ...for the petitioner.

Mr. Pranit Bag, Mr. Partha Banerjee ...for the respondent no. 2.

The grievance of the petitioner is that a complaint made by the petitioner under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, was sought to be enquired by a Committee headed by one Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, to which the petitioner had serious reservations. This writ petition was filed for a direction to constitute a fresh committee.

The learned Advocate for the respondent no. 2 submits that during pendency of the writ petition, a fresh Internal Complaint Committee has already been constituted by the Indian Museum but on account of pendency of the writ petition, the said Committee did not take any further steps with regard to the complaint lodged by the petitioner.

Today when the matter is taken up for hearing, learned Advocate representing the respondent no. 2

submits that he has received specific instructions from the said respondent that the Committee decided to hold a meeting on April 5, 2022.

Since a date has already been fixed by such Committee, WPA 18299 of 2019 is disposed of by directing the respondent no. 2, being the Director, Indian Museum, to take steps so that the enquiry by the Internal Complaint Committee is completed by end of May, 2022 by passing a reasoned order in accordance with law, which shall be communicated to the parties immediately after passing the reasoned order.

There will be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copies of this order, if applied for, be made available to the parties upon compliance with the requisite formalities.

(Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, J.)