Sexual harassment complaint by woman colleague: Chennai zone GST commissioner placed under suspension

CHENNAI: Commissioner of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST), Chennai zone, S Ravi Selvan has been placed under suspension based on a sexual harassment complaint filed by a woman colleague.
The Chief Vigilance Officer of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued the order of the President as a disciplinary proceeding against Ravi Selvan on Wednesday with immediate effect.
GST, Chennai Zone, will go under the control of the Principal Chief Commissioner, CGST (Kolkata Zone) during the suspension period.
Ravi Selvan has been ordered not to leave the headquarters without prior permission of competent authority.
Sources in the department said the woman officer lodged a complaint on May 24 alleging that the harassment took place at the Customs House in December 2021. The suspension of the senior official has come after an internal inquiry committee, which was formed after the complaint, recorded the statements of the fellow officials.
Ravi Selvan denied the sexual harassment allegations in his letter to the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, a copy of which is with TOI. He has stated that he was not holding customs commissioner (appeals) post in Customs House as stated by the woman officer and that he took charge as the principal commissioner, Chennai Outer GST Commissionerate in Anna Nagar.
He has maintained that the woman officer had never worked under him and that the complaint was in mala fide intention to evade the departmental action for allowing an application under Sabka Viswas (Legacy Dispute Resolution) Scheme (SVLDRS).