VANEETA PATNAIK Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Petitioner is an Associate Professor at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata. In this Writ Petition, the Petitioner has impugned an Order, dated March 05, 2024, passed by the local committee, 24-Parganas (North), constituted under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (in short, the Act of 2013).

(2.) By the said order, the local committee rejected a Complaint filed by the Petitioner under the Act of 2013 on the ground of limitation.

(3.) It appears that the Petitioner filed her Complaint before the local committee on December 26, 2023, and after receiving the Complaint, the local committee issued a notice under the Act of 2013 upon Respondent No.7, who subsequently filed his reply denying the allegations made against him by the Petitioner. On March 5, 2024, the Petitioner filed an application for condonation of delay in filing the Complaint. On the same date, the local committee by an Order, dated March 5, 2024, rejected the Complaint. The relevant part of the said Order, dated March 5, 2024, is quoted below: