Kolkata, March 4: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of an alleged sexual harassment case involving a female civic volunteer by an officer-in-charge at a Kolkata police station. The commission has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal, Piyush Pandey, to file an action taken report within five days regarding the incident.
In a post on the social media platform X, the NCW stated, “The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of a serious and disturbing news report published on March 2, which includes allegations of sexual harassment and misuse of authority by an officer-in-charge of a police station in Kolkata against a female civic volunteer working under his supervision.”
The women’s rights panel condemned the incident, emphasizing that misconduct by a senior police officer erodes public trust in law enforcement agencies.
The commission stated, “The NCW strongly condemns this reprehensible act, which is a serious violation of the dignity of the victim, equality, and protection against sexual harassment in the workplace as per the Constitution of India and the POSH Act, 2013. Misconduct by a senior police officer significantly undermines public confidence in law enforcement institutions.”
NCW Chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar urged the West Bengal DGP to ensure action against the accused police officer and to file an FIR.
The NCW emphasized, “The NCW Chairperson has directed the DGP of West Bengal to ensure immediate legal action, including filing an FIR under the appropriate provisions, conducting a fair and timely investigation, implementing strict departmental action, preserving and examining evidence, and protecting the complainant from any form of retaliation.”
Furthermore, the commission requested the DGP of West Bengal to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) within five days, which should include the status of the FIR, progress of the investigation, and steps taken to strengthen safeguards against workplace sexual harassment within police units.
According to police sources, a female civic volunteer has alleged that the officer-in-charge of a police station in the South Suburban Division of Kolkata sexually harassed her.
A source from the Kolkata police headquarters revealed that the incident reportedly occurred at the end of February. The female civic volunteer filed a written complaint on Sunday.
Police stated that upon receiving the complaint, a departmental inquiry against the accused was initiated in accordance with workplace sexual harassment guidelines. However, as of Monday evening, there were no reports of an FIR or case being registered. A police source indicated that further action would be taken following the preliminary investigation. The accused police officer has already been transferred to another police station in the state.
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