June deadline set for Air India sexual harassment charge

NEW DELHI: A minister in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet has told national carrier Air India to complete an inquiry into a sexual harassment complaint MADE By A LIGHT Attendant By THE end of June.

Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on Monday met THE LIGHT Attendant, who took to Twitter last week ACCUSING A senior EXECUTIVE of sexually HARASSING HER AND THE AIRLINE of refusing to ADDRESS THE matter In A timely and serious way.

Gandhi had taken up the case with the civil aviation minister, a statement issued by her ministry said.

“The Minister has also spoken to the head of the Internal Complaints Committee of Air India and has directed her to complete the inquiry within June 2018,” the statement said.

INDIA put In PLACE A law ive years AGO that Aims to Ensure safety For women working In Both THE public AND private sectors. Under the act, detailed GUIDELINES were Issued to Employers to prevent or deter sexual harassment and to set up processes to resolve, settle or prosecute such cases.

THE LIGHT Attendant went public with HER Allegations In A letter ADDRESSED CIVIL Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Modi, which she tweeted on Tuesday.

In a second letter to Prabhu and Gandhi on Friday she accused Air India of trivialising HER Complaint when SHE irst MADE It In SEPTEMBER, ALLEGING one EXECUTIVE told HER: “so what? HE lirts with me also.” An Air India spokesman DECLINED to Comment, CITING THE ongoing Investigation Into THE INCIDENT.

THE Allegations Come At A time when THE Government Is struggling to ind A bidder for the debt-laden state carrier. Its irst Attempt FAILED to Draw Even A single BIDDER last week.