A day after three Doordarshan employees alleged that they were sexually harassed by their superiors, CEO Prasar Bharati Shashi Shekhar said Saturday that the public broadcaster takes all such cases "extremely seriously" and action is taken strictly in accordance with disciplinary rules.
The women claimed at a press conference here that they were sexually harassed on the pretext of getting their contracts renewed. The women, all of them contractual employees, did not get into details of the harassment incidents.
"Doordarshan is led by a highly capable @DG_Doordarshan. We take all cases of this nature extremely seriously, action is taken strictly in accordance with law/applicable disciplinary rules," Shekhar tweeted.
Unfortunately "sweeping generalisations" have been made without availing avenues for redress, he said.
Varuna Bhandari, a lawyer, who is advising the victims, had Friday said she has been approached by seven other women employees also from Doordarshan who have alleged sexual harassment at their work place.
"In nine out of 10 cases, the ICC (Internal Complaints Committee) did not pay attention to the sexual harassment complaints," Bhandari claimed at the press conference.
One of the three women claimed she had not been paid her salary for eight months -- ever since she complained to the ICC.