Set up cell for women, Gujarat HC tells Navy

Justice JC Upadhyay of the Gujarat high court has directed the office of the Indian navy, INS Valasrua, at Jamnagar to constitute a women's grievances cell.

The court further directed that the cell shall hear the complaint of a woman clerk who had alleged that she was sexually harassed by a male colleague at the office. The cell shall take appropriate action in the matter after an inquiry, the court said.

The high court gave this order while hearing a petition filed by the woman clerk who had alleged that she was sexually harassed by a male colleague at the office. The petitioner had also sought the court's direction to the naval office for setting up of a women's grievances cell to prevent sexual harassment of women at the workplace.

The woman, who is an employee of the Indian navy, had sought action against a Subedar who had allegedly harassed her while she was on duty at the naval office in Jamnagar.

However, counsel for the petitioner PM Lakhani claimed that the high court had also directed the Union government to constitute similar women's grievances cells in the army, navy and the air force. But assistant solicitor general Pankaj Champaneri, who appeared on behalf of the Union government, said the high court had issued the order only to the Jamnagar office.