Convergys employee allege sex abuse at workplace
Bengaluru: Two women employees of customer management multinational Convergys have lodged police complaints alleging sexual harassment at workplace. They said senior male colleagues sought sexual favours from them in exchange for salary increment and promotion.
The complaints were filed on April 8. The Suddaguntepalya police registered two FIRs and arrested the three men identified as Mohammad Noman, Faizan Shameem and Rajarshi Bhat, all working in the company's human resource department. They were later let off on bail.
One of the women, 24-year-old Shweta (name changed), stated in her complaint that her co-workers, especially Shameem, Rajarshi and her supervisor Noman, often passed lewd remarks about her character, looks and attire.
She claimed the men took advantage of her traumatic past as she was molested by an Uber driver in December last year.
They would send her messages on social media, inviting her to weekend parties and suggesting that red wine increases libido.
The woman said the three men regularly texted her, sometimes well past midnight. There was always an element of sexual innuendo in their conversations. They sought sexual favours on the sly in exchange for salary increment and promotion.
"If this is not sexual harassment, what is it," she asked in the complaint.
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States not empowered to take over all private properties for distribution to serve common good: SC
New Delhi (PTI): In a majority 7:2 ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday held that states are not empowered under the Constitution to take over all privately-owned resources for distribution to serve the "common good".
A nine-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, however, said states can stake claim over private properties in certain cases.
The majority verdict pronounced by the CJI overruled Justice Krishna Iyer's previous ruling that all privately owned resources can be acquired by the State for distribution under Article 39(b) of the Constitution.
The CJI wrote for himself and six other judges on the bench which decided the vexed legal question on whether private properties can be considered "material resources of the community" under Article 39(b) and taken over by State authorities for distribution to subserve the "common good".
It overturned several verdicts that had adopted the socialist theme and ruled that states can take over all private properties for common good.
Justice BV Nagarathna partially disagreed with the majority judgement penned by the CJI, while Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia dissented on all aspects.
The pronouncement of judgements is underway.
The top court had, in the Minerva Mills case of 1980, declared two provisions of the 42nd Amendment, which prevented any constitutional amendment from being "called in question in any court on any ground" and accorded precedence to the Directive Principles of State Policy over the fundamental rights of individuals, as unconstitutional.
Article 31C protects a law made under Articles 39(b) and (c) empowering the State to take over material resources of the community, including private properties, for distribution to subserve the common good.
The top court had heard 16 petitions, including the lead petition filed by the Mumbai-based Property Owners' Association (POA) in 1992.
The POA has opposed Chapter VIII-A of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) Act. Inserted in 1986, the chapter empowers State authorities to acquire cessed buildings and the land on which those are built if 70 per cent of the occupants make such a request for restoration purposes.
The MHADA Act was enacted in pursuance of Article 39(b), which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy and makes it obligatory for the State to create a policy towards securing "that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good".
