NCW Forms Committee to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims at TCS Nashik BPO
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, April 15 (NationPress) The National Commission for Women (NCW) declared on Wednesday the formation of a fact-finding committee tasked with investigating the alleged cases of sexual harassment against women at the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) BPO facility located in Nashik, Maharashtra.
The committee is expected to deliver its findings within a span of 10 working days.
Scheduled to visit the site on April 17, the committee includes members such as Justice Sadhna Jadhav, a retired judge from the Bombay High Court, B. K. Sinha, former DGP of Haryana, Monika Arora, a Supreme Court advocate, and Lilabati, a senior coordinator for NCW, as per an official announcement.
This committee is charged with conducting an on-site investigation at the TCS facility in Nashik and potentially at other related locations. It will scrutinize the events leading to the alleged incidents, evaluate the actions taken by relevant authorities, and engage with victims, police officials, company representatives, and other key stakeholders to collect necessary evidence, as outlined in the statement.
In addition, the committee will pinpoint any shortcomings and propose suitable actions against those held accountable while recommending measures aimed at preventing future occurrences and enhancing safety protocols for women in the workplace.
The committee will operate under the guidelines of Section 10(1) in conjunction with Section 10(4) of the NCW Act, 1990, and is required to report back to the Commission within 10 working days. Following the investigation, the committee will present its conclusions to the Commission in person.
NCW has initiated this inquiry on its own accord after media reports surfaced regarding the alleged sexual harassment at the TCS BPO unit in Nashik.
“Initial inquiries triggered by a complaint concerning religious practices have unveiled alarming allegations of sexual harassment, rape, and attempts at coercive religious conversion involving female employees by certain supervisory figures,” the NCW statement revealed.
Taking a grave view of the situation, the Commission has exercised its authority under Section 8 of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, to establish a fact-finding committee for a thorough investigation into the matter, as stated in the announcement.
The National Commission for Women is dedicated to ensuring a secure and respectful working environment for women and will undertake all necessary actions based on the committee’s findings.