IFFI sexual abuse case: Proceedings in case against bureaucrat closed by Goa Human Rights Commission

The Goa Human Rights Commission, on 17 January, 2014 closed all proceedings of an investigation into sexual harassments allegations made by a student of Jawaharlal Nehru University against a bureaucrat. Deputy Inspector General of Police OP Mishra had said in 2013 that the Panaji police station would be probing allegations made on 17 November by a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in the national capital. [caption id=“attachment_1245147” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Image used for representational purposes only. AFP.[/caption] Sources said top festival officials had been summoned to the police station for formal inquiries into the incident. “We have seen press reports. Local police has been asked to conduct a preliminary inquiry. On the basis of that inquiry, we will proceed further,” Mishra said. The 25-year-old victim, working as a programmer at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) had accused a director of the union ministry of information and broadcasting of offensive sexual innuendo. “He said, ‘Let’s go for a drink together. Let’s drink and do everything’,” the victim said in her complaint to festival director Shankar Mohan. Acting on the complaint, Mohan formed a three-member all-woman committee, which interviewed both the complainant and the accused, but found no reasonable ground to recommend action against the deputy director, who has since been sent back to New Delhi. Mohan said the victim had thanked festival organisers for setting up the committee, and has also returned to New Delhi after the hearing. With inputs from IANS