Chhattisgarh High Court Orders Fresh Probe Into Sexual Harassment Case Against Former Textbook Corporation GM

Legal troubles have significantly escalated for Arvind Kumar Pandey, the former General Manager of the Chhattisgarh State Textbook Corporation (TBC), after the Bilaspur High Court formally quashed a previous sexual harassment investigation report filed against him. Delivering a decisive ruling, a single bench of Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad ordered a completely fresh inquiry into the allegations, citing severe structural flaws and procedural violations within the original internal complaints committee that had absolved or handled the initial accusations.Grievances Raised Over Committee Composition and Lack of ImpartialityThe legal proceedings stem from a formal complaint filed in March 2022 by a female steno-typist who has served at the corporation since 2008. The employee accused Pandey of workplace sexual harassment, including inappropriate behavior, indecent gestures, and objectionable advances while he held the powerful office of General Manager. Following her complaint, the corporation constituted a five-member Internal Complaints Committee on March 2, 2022. However, the victim strongly objected to the panel's makeup, pointing out that all members were junior in rank to the accused officer and, critically, that the committee lacked any female members.Court Upholds Statutory Norms Regarding Internal Complaints CommitteesDuring court arguments, the Textbook Corporation attempted to justify its selection by citing a limited pool of female employees within the office. The High Court firmly rejected this defense, noting that statutory guidelines under the law explicitly empower organizations to co-opt senior women officers from external administrative departments or units if necessary. Furthermore, the court emphasized that the law mandates a senior woman to preside over the committee and requires that at least half of its members be women to ensure a fair, unbiased environment. Finding the original committee's composition inherently compromised and incapable of delivering an impartial investigation, the court declared the entire past inquiry report null and void, paving the way for a transparent reinvestigation.