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A woman employee of the city development department of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) Saturday lodged a sexual harassment complaint against SMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ketan Patel and four others on Saturday.
According to Surat police, the victim, a Dalit, was earlier employed with the city development department of SMC, and allegedly faced physical harassment from SMC officials during July 2014 and June 2015. In her complaint, she had alleged that the accused even made calls, demanding favours, and sent messages to her and her daughter, who was working under contract in the same department.
In her complaint to the Lalgate police station, the complainant has identified the accused as Ketan Patel (SMC Deputy Commissioner), Rakesh Rana (who works in computer section), Nirish Patel (engineer), Sanjay Patel (assistant engineer) and Hemlata Desai (section officer). The investigation in the case has been transferred to SC/ST cell department of the Surat police.
SC/ST cell Assistant Commissioner of Police Neeta Desai said, “We have not arrested the accused yet. We will take the statements of all the accused, analyse the evidences of phone calls and messages sent by the accused and will take action against them.”
SMC officials named in the complaint did not respond to calls by this paper. ENS