Almost a year after registration of FIRs, the city women’s police station has filed charge sheets against the then bureau chief of Press Trust of India Rupesh Samant before the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Panaji-Goa, in four different cases of sexual harassment. It may be recalled that Samant who was untraceable from September 26 to November 1 last year after FIRs were filed based on six complaints, was arrested after he surrendered before the JMFC Ashley Noronha under various sections.
[su_expand more_text=”READ MORE” less_text=” ” height=”0″ hide_less=”yes” link_style=”button” link_align=”center”]According to the sources, Crime branch superintendent of police (SP) Karthik Kashyap said, “We have filed charge sheets in all four sexual harassment cases registered at the women’s police station, before the JMFC.”
The first FIR was registered against Samant on September 24, 2015. Women’s police station arrested Samant on November 1, 2015, after his anticipatory bail applications were rejected by the additional session’s court and high court. He was later released on conditional bail.
According to the information, the six complainants, women journalists and other employees in the media had told the police that the accused molested them, passed sexual remarks, made unwelcome advances and also sent them lewd messages.
The Goa Union of Journalist had also held a special executive meeting on September 29 last year by which they had decided to suspend his membership. Samant’s name, in relation to the sexual harassment cases, also featured in the latest report authored by the International Federation of Journalists. The report is supported by Unesco, UNDEF and Norwegian government.
[/su_expand]
