DCW notice to cops, DTC after woman marshal attempts suicide following sexual harassment

New Delhi: The DCW on Monday issued notices to the city police and the Delhi Transport Corporation, claiming that a woman bus marshal allegedly attempted suicide after facing sexual harassment at work.

The police, however, said the woman had informed them that she did not want legal action against the accused since he had apologised. The police station concerned had also not received any call regarding her attempted suicide, they said.

The 23-year-old woman was deployed as a bus marshal in DTC at the Subhash Place depot on May 20. The woman told the DCW that a bus conductor allegedly started forcing her for sexual favours and also took Rs 25,000 for her transfer out of the depot, the panel said

"Despite complaints to the depot's higher officials, no action was taken. Subsequently, the depot manager and other staff, including some bus driver and conductor, started harassing her," the panel claimed.

She approached the Delhi Police against the staff and a complaint was registered at the Keshavpuram police station. However, the depot manager and other staff forced her to compromise in the matter, the panel claimed. The police said on July 17, they had received a PCR call at the Keshavpuram police station by a woman who informed them about abuse and physical assault by her colleague at Subhash Place Bus Depot (Wazirpur Bus depot). The woman alleged that a colleague had abused and physically assaulted her, a senior police officer said.

The woman told the police that she had an argument with the accused, over placement of their duties and he had abused her and pushed her, the officer said. The complainant, however, gave in writing that she does not want any legal action against the accused since he had apologised and she had not suffered injuries, police said.

In her complaint to the DCW, the woman claimed that on July 20, she was terminated from duty but she approached the SDM concerned, who sent her to join the depot again. However, the depot manager and other staff refused to let her resume work and asked her to withdraw her complaints, the panel claimed. The woman claimed that she lodged a complaint at the Keshavpuram police station on July 23, but no FIR was registered.