Workplace Harassment Case: CAT Halts JKAS Officer's Salary

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jammu has ordered the immediate stoppage of salary for senior JKAS officer Shubhra Sharma due to her failure to respond in a workplace harassment case.

Sharma, the former Director of Animal Husbandry, Jammu, and currently the Managing Director of JKRLM, was heading the Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH) at Workplace. Despite repeated directives, she did not file a reply, prompting the tribunal to take coercive action.

A bench comprising Member (J) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (A) RAM Mohan Johri expressed strong displeasure over Sharma's non-compliance. The tribunal noted that multiple warnings had been issued, yet no response was forthcoming.

The order came in response to a plea by Anu Bala, Assistant Director of Fisheries, who contested the CASH committee's findings, arguing that it failed to adhere to legal procedures and Vishakha Guidelines on workplace harassment.

The bench criticized the senior officer's approach, stating that such disregard weakens public trust in the judiciary and hampers justice. Emphasizing that“nobody is above the law,” the tribunal stressed the importance of upholding legal procedures.

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Sharma's salary will remain withheld until further orders, with the tribunal directing her Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) to ensure compliance. The next hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2025.

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