Can Internal Committee agree to Request for Withdrawal of Sexual Harassment Complaint

Kritarth Consulting
Learning Lessons Series from Kritarth Consulting Lesson-3.
“Can Internal Committee agree to a Request from the Complainant to treat the Sexual Harassment Complaint withdrawn and not proceed with IC Proceedings?”
As a serving Member (External), Internal Committees PAN India, I faced a ticklish event when the Aggrieved-Woman-Employee-Complainant informed our Internal Committee Presiding Officer that she was ready to withdraw her Sexual Harassment Written Complaint, hence there was no need for the IC to proceed into her SH Complaint filed before Superior. Then she submitted her Written Request for withdrawal of her Sexual Harassment Written Complaint.
The Question before this Internal Committee was “What to do to be Fair, Just and Proper?"
Please post your Insightful Guidance which will contribute to the enhancement of Knowledge & Skills of present & Future IC Members.
Harsh Kumar Sharan, Member (External)
Spl Educator PoSH Programs, Kritarth Consulting Pvt Ltd
Kritarth Blog: https://holistichr.blogspot.com/
23.6.2020
Bhartiya Akhil
Dear Harsh Kumar Sharan,
I am not expert but still I would suggest you to record in the proceeding the withdrawal of complaint by the aggrieved woman if the the stage of Conciliation under section 10 is over.
This recording shall be done with an evidence preferably of the aggrieved woman herself.
The committee can conclude the enquiry accordingly and submit the report. This you can very well do where alleged harassment is not serious in nature.
If the conciliation is not over then you can settle the matter between the aggrieved woman and respondent through conciliation as stated in section 10.
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