IAS officers join colleague's fight
against sexual harassment
D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram
The IAS Officers Association in Kerala has demanded scrapping of a judicial commission which is looking into former transport and forest minister A Neelalohitadasan Nadar's complaint that charges of sexual harassment made against him by a senior IAS officer were of part of a conspiracy hatched by the forest mafia.
The sexual harassment charges levelled by Nalini Netto, then a secretary in the transport department, in February this year had led to an uproar in the state leading to the minister's resignation.
An extraordinary meeting of the association held in the state capital on Wednesday offered "total support" to Netto, who recently moved the Kerala HC seeking disbanding of the commission after her request for in-camera proceedings was rejected.
Netto has alleged that the commission, which was set up on the request of the Janata Dal (U), a constituent of the Left Democratic Front to which Nadar belongs, is an attempt to protect the former minister.
The IAS Officers Association passed a resolution at Wednesday's meeting expressing "lack of confidence" in the commission and urged Chief Minister E K Naynar to dissolve it.
A memorandum submitted to the chief minister by the association on Thursday questioned the need for a judicial inquiry into the case when criminal proceedings have already been initiated against the minister as per the directives of the Supreme Court.
Several women's organisations too have demanded scrapping of the commission. Stree Vedi , an organisation based in Thiruvananthapuram, held a dharna outside the state secretariat recently in this connection.
Stree Vedi leaders Mercy Alexandar and Jaysree have said public inquiries into sexual harassment cases amount to "further harassment of the victims."
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