Female employee harassed at Solapur finance company; 10 booked
Police said the complainant alleged severe physical and mental harassment by her colleague after she refused to approve an illegal loan.
PUNE: Ten employees of a private finance company were booked on Wednesday for alleged physical and mental harassment of a 28-year-old female Credit Process Assistant (CPA) at their office in Solapur. The branch manager, sales manager and human resource (HR) manager are among the accused.
The incident was reported between June 1 and September 21 at a branch of a private finance company located in Daji Peth area of Solapur city. On the basis of the complaint filed by the female CPA, the branch manager and nine others were booked by Solapur city police on Wednesday.
Police said the complainant alleged severe physical and mental harassment by her colleague after she refused to approve an illegal loan. As per her complaint, she was allegedly inappropriately touched in the office premises and threatened not to disclose it to anyone if she wanted to continue in her job.
Frustrated with the repeated harassment, on September 15, she sent a complaint to the company HR department via email. However, instead of acting on her complaint, the complainant claimed that they threatened her with dismissal from service by levelling corruption charges against her.
Police investigation revealed that the victim was reportedly the only female staff member among 14 employees at the branch. There was no separate washroom facility for her. She alleged that some of her male colleagues made obscene comments and harassed her whenever she went to use the washroom.
Due to continuous harassment over several months, the woman reportedly went into deep mental distress and even contemplated suicide. The timely intervention by police and psychological counselling helped her to stabilise.
Rajkumar Meganathan, commissioner of Solapur city police, said, “A case has been registered at Jail Road police station. Assistant inspector Jyostna Bambishte counseled the victim and ensured that her mental health was stable and she did not take any drastic step.”
Solapur police have registered a case against the 10 employees of the private finance company under sections 74,75,76,79, 351(2), 356(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
