Air India sexual harassment case: Maneka Gandhi directs internal committee to complete probe

An air hostess has alleged that a senior AI executive had been sexually harassing her and that the company's Internal Complaints Committee had failed to act on her complaint.

Representational image

New Delhi: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has directed Internal Complaints Committee of Air India to finish its inquiry into an alleged sexual harassment complaint made by a staffer against a senior executive by the end of this month.

The complainant - an air hostess - met Maneka on Monday days after she had tweeted about the committee not acting on her complaints against a senior executive of the airline compay. Maneka is believed to have assured her of a free and fair trial.

In her complaint, the air hostess had alleged that the senior airline executive had been sexually harassing her for a number of years and that when the matter was brought to the notice of the ICC, the committee failed to act and instead, tried to brush it aside. In a letter addressed to Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, the complainant had also alleged that the senior executive had harassed several other women, had obstructed promotions and privileges to her after she resisted his advances, and that the said executive had used his connections to shield himself.

Prabhu had assured her of support.