Mangaluru: Two female employees, who are working for a travel agency in the city, registered a compliant on Thursday against their employer, for sexually harassing them at the workplace.
The two girls, whose identity is withheld, have accused their employer Shafiulla (35), a resident of Kalapu in Thokkottu of the crime.
The Pandeshwara police have booked him under the IPC section 354 (Assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty).
However, the matter turned hostile on Wednesday, after one of the girls informed about the incident to their friends group in Whatsapp. Subsequently, the message went viral on the text messenger, painting a communal picture. “A Muslim employer has sexually harassed our (Hindu) girls. Let us all meet on Thursday at an.…. office in the city”, the message stated.
Later in the day, when the two girls approached Pandeshwara Police station to lodge complaint, the Sub-Inspector too warned them for circulating the message on Whatsapp, which they said as communally sensitive. “Your duty is to inform your parents about the incident and not to any organizations”, the victims quoted the words of Sub-Inspector.
The girl said that she only messaged her friends in Whatsapp, when her parents did not allow her to register complaint, fearing bad name. “Therefore, we approached our friends seeking help and now we will be meeting one of the pro-Hindu organizations”, she said.
Besides, the girls also alleged that the accused got a bail even before they completed the procedure of registering complaint. “We filed complaint and were undergoing medical examination. Meanwhile, one of the police told us that he managed to secure bail”, the victim told newskarnataka.com
When asked about the case, Women Police Sub-Inspector Kalavathi said that the accused was produced before the court after registering First Investigation Report (FIR). The court granted him bail. “However, we will open a rowdy sheet on him, after consulting the commissioner. As of now, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tilak Chandra is enquiring with him”, she said.
S. Murugan, city police commissioner said that once the enquiry is over, he will take immediate action as per law.
