NE Woman Sexually Harassed by Call Centre Manager in Gurgaon

NE Helpline Confronts Gurgaon Police Over Delayed Action

New Delhi, Nov 21, 2013 – A 25-year-old woman from Manipur, working in a Gurgaon-based call centre, faced an appalling ordeal when she attempted to report a case of sexual harassment. On November 14, she approached Sector 18 Police Station in Gurgaon, only to have her complaint dismissed outright. Shockingly, the police demanded “proof” of sexual harassment before registering her complaint and instead directed her to the Labour Court, leaving her without immediate recourse.

In response to this negligence, the North East Helpline team, led by Dr Alana Golmei, General Secretary, and Bruce K. Thangkhal, Media Incharge, confronted the Sector 18 police station on Thursday morning, demanding action. They engaged in a heated discussion with Station House Officer Mr Praveen Malik and submitted a formal complaint against the accused, Mr N*, a tech manager at iPlacet Global Services, who allegedly sexually harassed the victim.

The victim (name withheld), who joined the company in June as a Senior Sales Analyst, recounted, “Mr N* repeatedly asked me to go out with him for drinks, which I consistently refused. Despite my clear objections, he never stopped.”

She further alleged, “He stalked me, grabbed my hands, touched my body inappropriately, and sent me messages like ‘You are looking hot and sexy.’ I told him multiple times to stop, but he ignored my pleas. Despite the humiliation and distress, I continued working because I needed to support myself and care for my ailing mother, who stays with me.”

Adding to her distress, her salaries for September (Rs 5,000) and October (Rs 16,400) remained unpaid. She claimed, “I was forcibly put on Leave Without Pay (LWP) from October 18, 2013, without any valid reason. Apart from Mr N*, other managers — Mr N* (Operations Manager) and Mr P* —  kept delaying my leave status. They ignored my calls and kept making false promises about my pending salary. For the past month and a half, I have endured financial hardship, unable to pay rent and bills, as my salary is my only source of income.”

Following the intervention of the NE Helpline, Gurgaon police raided the call centre, located near the police station, but found none of the accused managers present.

SHO Praveen Malik assured that the accused would be arrested at the earliest. However, at the time of filing this report, no arrests had been made.

Dr Alana Golmei emphasized the need for continued pressure on law enforcement, stating, “Though the police have assured action, we must keep following up to ensure the accused is brought to justice.”

~ Bruce K. Thangkhal
Media Incharge
North East Support Centre & Helpline

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