Baseless says Haryana addl chief secretary on sexual harassment charge by IAS officer

An IAS officer in Haryana has accused the state Additional Chief Secretary of sexual harassment. Calling the allegations as baseless, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary said,''She was posted here a month back. We gradually came to know she's facing problems, I asked staff to take care of her. She even misbehaved with them.''

"It's my duty to train my staff. It's up to her to be willing to learn. If going to field troubles her, the government can transfer her. I am ready for probe, even lie-detection test," he said.

The 28-year-old woman officer wrote on Facebook that her senior called her to his office on May 31, and when she reached there the senior officer told the office staff not to let anybody else enter his office. The accused allegedly made her work till late hours and make unwanted advances.

"He questioned me why I write on files the wrongs the department has done," she wrote on Facebook.

The woman alleged the senior officer threatened to "spoil the annual confidential report (ACR)" if she did not stop writing negative comments on the official files. "He asked me to tell what type of work I wanted to do, whether I want departmental work or time-pass work... And then he asked me to stop writing adverse comments on the files," she wrote on Facebook. "He told me that like a new bride, she has to be explained everything, and he was explaining to me in the same manner. His behaviour seemed immoral," she wrote on Facebook.

On June 6, the senior officer again called her to his office at 5 pm and asked her to stay there till after 7 pm, she alleged.

Another senior officer, a woman, "has given me verbal orders that I do not enter any complaint in writing", she alleged, adding her police security had been withdrawn after which she had sent an email to the office of the President, seeking action.

She also said that the accused official pestered her for going with him for an event in Rohtak.