POSH Committee Member Denied Bail in High-Profile Harassment Case
A Nashik court denied bail to TCS site head Ashwini Chainani for allegedly ignoring a sexual harassment complaint, thereby 'abetting' the crime. Despite being on the POSH committee, she failed to assist the victim in filing a complaint. The influential nature of the accused could potentially affect witness testimonies.
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The Nashik judiciary has denied bail to Ashwini Chainani, a prominent member of TCS's POSH committee, citing her failure to act on a sexual harassment complaint which contributed to a hostile work environment. The refusal also extends to co-accused Tausif Attar, Raza Memon, Shahrukh Qureshi, and Asif Ansari.
In a detailed order, Additional Sessions Judge V V Kathare criticized Chainani's 'silence and insensitivity,' which effectively endorsed workplace toxicity. The ruling highlighted that Chainani, despite her committee role, failed to encourage the victim to file a formal complaint and instead blamed her, exacerbating the issue.
The judgment emphasized that the delay in lodging the complaint was not the victim's fault as she had reported the harassment orally to Chainani. The court also considered the ongoing investigation's delicacy and the potential for witness influence if bail were granted, thereby upholding the denial.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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