Complimenting female colleague’s figure and asking her out on a date amounts to sexual harassment: Court

Mumbai’s Sessions Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to two accused in a sexual assault case. The court said that publicly telling a female employee in the office that you have a very good figure and asking her to go out on a date comes under the ambit of sexual harassment. The court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to Assistant Manager (42) and Sales Manager (30) of a real estate company in a similar sexual harassment case. The court said that this is not a case in which anticipatory bail should be granted to the accused. Judge AR Khan said that every case has different aspects. In some cases custodial interrogation is required and in some cases not.

This case of sexual harassment was registered by the woman in the police station on 24th of April last. Following the complaint, the police had registered a case against both the accused for sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman, stalking the woman and making obscene gestures. After this incident, the matter had reached the threshold of the police. In this case, the public prosecutor had placed before the court the details of the incident that took place between March 1 and April 14. In which there was mention of sexual harassment of women.

The public prosecutor told the court that the accused used to tell the woman that Madam, you have maintained yourself very well. Your figure is very nice. Has madam thought about going out with me or not? The woman has complained about this in her office as well as in the police station. After the case was registered, both the accused approached the court for bail, saying that they had not done any such thing. He is being implicated in a false case. On this, the Prosecution expressed its protest before the court and said that it is necessary to interrogate these accused in police custody.

While giving the verdict in this case, the court said that the father of the sales manager and other employees of the office had tried to put pressure on the victim. The court said that there is no doubt that the matter is serious and involves the dignity of a woman. In this case, the accused has also hurt the dignity of the woman along with sexual harassment. Dirty and obscene language was used at work place.