Zero tolerance against sexual misconduct, domestic violence:

Rao tells Indian missions

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) Foreign Secretary Nirupama Raohas written to all heads of missions stating government''sposition of "zero tolerance" for incidents of sexualmisconduct and domestic violence.

The statement comes in the wake of the recent incidentsof two Indian diplomats, Anil Verma and Alok Ranjan Jha, whowere called from the UK and UN respectively, following theiralleged involvement in domestic violence and sexual misconductincidents.

Sources said Rao has written to all the heads of Indianmissions, where he has talked about the position of theministry, which she said will deal with incidents of sexualmisconduct and domestic violence with zero tolerance and willtake punitive measures against offending officials.

Any incidents of this kind involving any official willnecessitate immediate recall of the officer and hisdependents, Rao said in her message.

While Verma, serving at the Indian mission at London wasrecalled after being accused of assaulting his wife, Jhaposted at the Permanent Mission of India at UN, was calledback to headquarters for allegedly misbehaving with a femaleco-passenger on a New York-bound Air India flight.