Senior tax officer sacked over sexual harassment

Government of India compulsorily retires a Customs superintendent posted at Delhi's IGI Airport over charges of sexual harassment of an Uzbek passenger in 2019 and letting her pass with two bags of contraband she was carrying, reports ETV Bharat's Deputy Editor Krishnanand Tripathi.

New Delhi:In a move that will send a strong message to errant government officers accused of gross misconduct such as sexual harassment, the Modi government fired a Customs Superintendent, a gazetted officer in the department of revenue under the ministry of finance, for molesting a foreign lady at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, ETV Bharat has learnt.

“The Government of India has compulsorily retired a Customs Superintendent, Devender Kumar Hooda, the Group ‘B’ gazetted officer of General Commissionerate positioned at the IGI Airport under the Fundamental Rules 56 (j) in the public interest,” a source in the department of revenue told ETV Bharat.

Officials said Superintendent Hooda was charged with allegations of sexual harassment and molestation of a foreign lady passenger, an Uzbek passport holder, in May 2019. The accused Customs officer later let the Uzbek lady go with two bags of contraband (cigarettes) she was carrying.

Sexual harassment at workplace

Officials said the matter was under investigation since then and the issue was first investigated by the departmental Screening Committee, then Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and finally by the Review Committee which eventually recommended the accused officer’s suspension from the service.

The Committee recommended the accused Customs Officer’s compulsory retirement under the Section 56(j) of Fundamental Rules that allows the Government to compulsory retire an accused officer or employee on the charges of corruption, misconduct, non-performance among other things.

The Committee observed that Hooda’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct, ‘sexual harassment of grave nature’ which cast a serious adverse impact on the image of the Department and lowered the morale of other officer's in the revenue department.

The Review Committee concluded that DK Hooda’s conduct is such that his continuance in service would be a menace to public service and injurious to public interest,” a source told ETV Bharat.

The compulsory retirement was served on the accused officer on December 21.

Criminal proceedings to continue

Officials said that compulsory retirement from service does not mean that other departmental inquiries and criminal proceedings, if any, against the accused officer will end.

“Appropriate action may be taken by the disciplinary authority as and when the charges are proved as compulsory retirement under 56(j) is not a punitive measure under Article 311 of the Constitution. Inquiries and other proceedings will continue,” said an official.

Lady passenger taken outside CCTV coverage

According to officials, on the intervening night of May 02-03, 2019, two female Uzbekistani passengers arrived from Tashkent by flight HY 421 and one of them was taken to an area outside the CCTV Coverage.

“One of them was taken outside CCTV coverage upon reaching the Green Channel and was detained for an hour and then was allowed to leave since no seizure of any contraband,” said the official.

Officials said the second female Uzbekistani passenger was similarly detained for over 30 minutes and then she, too, was released without any seizure of contraband.

“Both the passengers were confined alone in a room by the accused officer without the presence of any lady Custom officer and both the passengers were allegedly subjected to sexual harassment and molestation,” a source told ETV Bharat, requesting not to be named.

Officials said one of the lady passengers later testified before the Internal Complaint Committee of the revenue department and identified the officer (DK Hooda) accusing him of molesting and indulging in obscene sexual acts in the Preventive room.

Sources said following an inquiry which also included the analysis of video footage of the airport, the accused officer was given compulsory retirement.

“Further inquiries and criminal proceeding will continue,” said the source.