Published on: 15 September, 2025 16:46 IST
The Supreme Court has advised that cases of sexual harassment, even if not investigated on technical grounds, should not be forgotten and must be included in the professional resume of the accused.
This directive came in a case where a faculty member of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) faced allegations but the complaint could not be pursued due to a delay beyond the permissible limitation period.
A bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Prasanna Bhattacharya emphasized the importance of recording all details of sexual harassment complaints, regardless of the legal outcome. The Court ordered that the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university must include the judgment and details of the complaint in his official resume. Compliance is mandated to ensure full transparency.
According to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, any complaint must be made within three months of the incident and can extend up to six months with valid reasons. In this case, the complaint was filed after long delays, resulting in its dismissal on technical grounds, but the Court emphasized that such cases must remain part of the record.
The accused had argued against including the case on technicalities, but the Court rejected this plea, stressing that the memory of the wrongdoing should not be erased even if the case is not investigated or prosecuted. The judgment also noted that victims should not be traumatized by the filing process but Harassment allegations deserve lasting recognition to ensure accountability.
This ruling highlights the judiciary’s commitment to addressing and recording sexual harassment allegations seriously, ensuring that they are part of the accused’s professional history to prevent repetition of such misconduct.