India News:

IFS officer accused of sexual abuse by maid

CNN-IBN
Posted on Dec 03, 2010 at 18:51

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New Delhi: An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer has been accused of sexual harassment by his maid. The maid has accused Dr Ketan Shukla of sexual harassment when he was posted in Kenya.

In her complaint filed at Moti Nagar Police Station in New Delhi on Thursday night, the maid alleged that Shukla sexually harassed her and tortured her for three years. However, police haven't converted the complaint into an FIR as yet.

"I told them about what happened with me. They have promised me that they will take strict action," she said. She also accused Shukla of non-payment of salary.

However, Shukla, who is presently in Ahmedabad, claimed that he never sexually exploited the girl.

"This is a very shocking news for me and my wife. The girl whom we took to Kenya, she stayed there for three years. We have treated her like our daughter. She was free to meet anyone. We used to take her to various functions. She came back to India with us. All her accounts were settled. At that time she had no complaints. She never complained to any of her relatives," said Shukla.

"Even 10 days back she requested my wife for a job. If there was a complaint, she would never have had asked us for a job again. I am very surprised. One friend of mine told me that she made a complaint against me for money in some other police station. Now this complaint has come up. Some NGO has misguided her. This is a very serious harassment. I think the government and the judiciary will look into it. I don't know the details about this complaint, but I will definitely take legal action, even defamation," he said.

Police haven't questioned Shukla as yet.

An official of the Non Government Organisation Miracle Aasra, which helped the maid file the complaint against the Shukla, said that the maid was afraid of the IFS officer and so took a long time to come out in the open.

"The police were asking why did it take her so long to come and file a complaint. We explained them that she was scared. That man is so powerful, works in the External Affairs Ministry. After she filed the complaint, three four men have already visited her home till now," said Miracle Aasra's Anand Sahoo.

The National Commission for Women has sought an action taken report from the Delhi Police and the Ministry of External Affairs. Shukla returned to India in April 2010 and the maid too went back to her native place.

(ibn live)

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