HC stays probe against NALCO CMD

The Bombay high court on Thursday stayed the departmental probe conducted by National Alluminium Corporation into allegations of molestation of a female employee by its chairman-cum-managing director, C Venkataramana.

The stay was granted by Justice Ajit Shah and Justice Abhay Oka on a complaint made by the victim that the probe committee was biased against her and that during the inquiry she was asked to demonstrate the alleged act of molestation committed by the accused.

The court has stayed the inquiry until further orders and adjourned the matter to April 28.

The court also perused the questions put by the probe committee to the victim and the answers given by the latter and the judges observed that they were prima facie satisfied that the probe was not being conducted properly.

Hearing a petition filed by the victim, the high court had earlier ordered NALCO to probe the allegations in keeping with the guidelines of the Supreme Court with regard to sexual harassment at workplace.

The victim alleged that she was molested by the NALCO's CMD on February 7. She sought protection and urged for a direction to the authorities to institute a departmental inquiry against the guilty.

The victim prayed that departmental inquiry should be launched against CMD Venkatramana and regional manager Virendra Singh for their alleged misconduct of sexually molesting her at a city hotel.