P’kula forest officer gets notice for harassing woman colleague

Shiv Kumar Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, September 26

PP Bhojvaid, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Haryana, has issued a show cause notice to a senior IFS officer for allegedly harassing a fellow woman officer.

The notice was issued to VS Tanwar, Chief Conservator of Forests (Protection-I), Panchkula, on September 18, asking him to explain his position within seven days.

Sources say Niveditha Bhojrajan, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Yamunanagar, had submitted a complaint to the PCCF against Tanwar on June 29, 2017, levelling a number of allegations, including sexual harassment.

“It is pertinent to mention here, the undersigned (complainant) does not entertain phone calls or WhatsApp messages of VS Tanwar for some personal reasons and own reservations being a woman,” she alleged in her complaint.

She said it was not the first incident and Tanwar had earlier also misused his authority to harass her. His misbehaviour was earlier reported to the PCCF office in December, 2016. “I request you to intervene and order a departmental inquiry. Appoint a senior officer to look into the false allegations made by VS Tanwar against me as his motive seems to be more of personal attack than official and that comes under the definition of sexual harassment,” she alleged.

The woman officer stated that it had also been brought to her notice that Tanwar had been bad mouthing things and indulging in speculative character assassination of her.

“I have witnesses and pieces of evidence to corroborate the above facts. Following a woman with or without an intention amounts to stalking under Section 354 of the IPC,” she said.

The woman officer added, “I have come to you at this stage when things are getting beyond tolerance. I feel that his acts amount to outraging my dignity and modesty.”

The sources say that on her request, the PCCF had constituted a committee, which submitted its fact finding report on July 18.

“The committee has concluded that there appears a sense of official “bias” by you (VS Tanwar) against B Niveditha, an IFS officer, as all wood-based industry related information had been sent by her to you on time. But your office letter written on June 16, 2017, alleges that there had been delay in dispensing with official information,” reads the committee report.

Meanwhile, Bhojvaid refused to comment on the issue.