56 women housekeepers sacked for reporting sexual harassment at NIFT Hyderbad

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Hyderabad has sacked 56 women housekeeping staffers after they accused an employee of the institution of sexual harassment. Yes, 56 women lost their livelihood for complaining about a crime against humanity.

The accused, D Srinivas Reddy, a stenographer who sexually abused women and used expletives and connotations while working continues to work in the campus and the women have been thrown out unceremoniously.

In October 2018, Ratna Kumari, the supervisor of women staff lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police against the accused. They alleged that Srinivas Reddy allegedly touched them inappropriately and  without their consent. He even asked them to have intercourse with him.

Ratna Kumari said that “Srinivas used to sexually harass women employees who would attend to his cabin. He would hold the women staff by their hips, click their photographs without consent, and invite them home to sleep with him. He became so open about his acts that he would directly come to me and ask me to send young and pretty women to his cabin. When I told him that none of the women wanted to work with him, he said that I have a good figure and asked me to sleep with him.”

She added, “ When we finally decided to file a harassment case against Srinivas, he started threatening our contractor to restrain us from filing the complaint”.

The women first complained about this matter to the campus administration. When they received no response from them, they then filed an FIR in Madhopur police station. The internal complaints committee (ICC) contacted the women after the case was registered with the police.

Post this, a team from Delhi came down to the institution to investigate the matter. Seven months later, the matter has been closed against Srinivas Reddy, he is roaming freely in the campus and women have been removed who protested against Reddy.