A complainant in a sexual harassment case will be allowed three months paid leave and she or the accused government employee can be transferred to another department during the inquiry, according to a fresh set of strict instructions by the Centre in such cases.


The disciplinary authority has been directed not to dispense with the inquiry in complaints of sexual harassment lightly, arbitrarily or with ulterior motive or merely because the case against the government servant is weak.


The committees for checking sexual harassment at work place will have the powers to recommend transfer of the aggrieved woman or the charged officer to any other workplace, and to grant leave to the aggrieved woman up to a period of three months. "The leave will not be deducted from her leave account," it said.


Complaints committees have been set up in all ministries and organisations under them in pursuance to the judgement of the Supreme Court in the Vishakha case.


These committees are to be headed by a woman and at least half of its members should be women. "In case a woman officer of sufficiently senior level is not available in a particular office, an officer from another office may be so appointed.


To prevent the possibility of any undue pressure or influence from senior levels, such complaints committees should involve a third party, either an NGO or some other body which is familiar with the issue of sexual harassment," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in its instructions.


The aggrieved woman or complainant is required to make a complaint within three months of the incident and in case there has been a series of incidents, three months of the last incident, it said.


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