SRINAGAR: Sexual harassment cases have increased during 2015 in Jammu and Kashmir, where a grievances cell for women has been established in the civil secretariat.
Three cases were reported so far during this year. This was stated by Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar in the Legislative Council today.
Mr Akhtar said since 2010 till date, 27 cases of sexual harassment in Government departments have been registered in the State.
It was just one in 2010 and challan for which has been produced in the court while it was four in 2011, the reply said adding all the four cases were challaned and two were arrested/prosecuted while one was acquitted.
There were just two cases in 2012 which have been challaned. However, in this year only one harassment case was reported which had been challenged, the reply said adding during the same year four people involved in previous year cases were arrested/prosecuted.
The number of cases suddenly witnessed increase to six in 2014 and 10 in 2015 while it was three so far in 2016.
During the year 2014 and 2015 12 cases were challaned, one case was under investigation, seven were arrested/prosecuted while two were acquitted.
He said barring in 2014-15 four cases of sexual harassment were reported in Jammu University (JU) there was no such case reported from 2010 to 2016. One case was pending because of the stay orders by High Court and in one of cases the offender was removed from the Administrative Academic positions.
The minister said there was no information available about circulation of anonymous letters in the JU campus about sexual harassment of some female faculty members and scholars by teachers and officials of the university.
In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in reply to a question by Anjum Fazli said a grievance cell for the women employees working in the civil secretariat has been established on April 24, 2016.
The members of the Cell are Sarita Chauhan, Commissioner/secretary Social Welfare department, Omera Shafat Joint Director, Tourism department and Kiran Raina, under secretary Relief and Rehabilitation department. (AGENCIES)
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