Panaji: The women's police station, Panaji has registered a case of sexual harassment against senior journalist Rupesh Samant, based on a complaint filed by two women victims.
Samant is currently the bureau chief of a national news agency and also a part-time anchor in a local news channel.
According to the complaints filed by two victims on Thursday night, Samant has been accused of molestation, sexually coloured remarks and also seeking sexual favours. The complainants have also stated that the accused was allegedly sending explicit sexually suggestive messages on social media applications.
Both the complainants had earlier worked with Samant, in the local channel network. They stated that they were constantly subjected to physical contact and sexual advances by the accused.
The police have registered the offence under section 354 and 354 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to SP Karthik Kashyap.
The police on Friday had issued summon to Samant, however, sources from police revealed that he did not receive the summon as he was not available at his Altinho residence and office. Samant is expected to visit women's police station at Panaji on Saturday.
Reacting on the incident, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said, “Since the complaint has been registered, we will take the matter very seriously. I have been saying time and again that law is equal to all and therefore no one will be spared or will be criminalised for no reason.”
Meanwhile, the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) has urged the Goa Police to seriously investigate and expedite the probe into the complaint of sexual harassment. The Union has also assured to support all the victims of sexual harassment in taking the case to logical solution and has appealed to them to come forward and file their complaints.
Earlier, this month the executive committee of the GUJ had taken cognisance of the allegations of sexual harassment against young vulnerable journalists at their place after Whatsapp messages were being circulated within media and also on social media.
GUJ, has already sent notices to all media houses directing them to set up an 'Internal Complaints Committee' as mandated under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act. GUJ has also set up a sub-committee headed by its president Sadguru Patil to facilitate complaints of sexual harassment.
