RFO herself headed complaints committee

Nagpur: Harisal RFO Deepali Chavan, who killed herself complaining of harassment by deputy conservator of forest, was herself heading the three-member internal complaint committee set up to investigate harassment of women at workplace. It appears even a woman in her position could not get her own case redressed within the department.

There has been sharp criticism by political leaders, social organizations, and forest union leaders over activating the Vishaka committees meant to protect women from harassment at workplace in the department in the wake of her case.

As per the letter issued on November 17, 2020, late Deepali was president of the three-member internal complaint committee that was set up at Harisal range under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, enacted in 2013. Forest guards Vaishali Dore and Navita Khirale were members.

Ironically, the letter was issued by deputy conservator Vinod Shivkumar, whom she named in her suicide note and who is accused of abetting her suicide. He has since been arrested by the police and placed under suspension.

“If Deepali was president of the Internal Complaints Committee, she must have been aware of the provisions under the Act and should have filed a written complaint against Shivkumar with the field director’s office, which was not done. She suffered silently and was unable to take right steps,” said a section of officials and those saying Melghat field director MS Reddy has been unfairly targeted in the case.

“Most importantly, Section 9 of the Act requires a complaint in writing by the aggrieved against sexual harassment. Even the claim of women and child development minister Yashomati Thakur made in a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray that the committee has not been constituted becomes hollow in the light of this,” said sources.

Meanwhile, PCCF (HoFF) G Saiprakash has set up a nine-member committee to probe Deepali Chavan suicide case. PCCF (IT) MK Rao will head the committee while Amravati CCF Pravin Chavan will be the member-secretary.

Four women forest officers CCF Mira Iyer Trivedi, DyCF Piyusha Jagtap, ACF Jyoti Pawar and retired DFO Kishore Mishrikotkar are members, along with one NGO. The committee will probe all the charges and allegations made by late Chavan in her suicide note.