Zero tolerance for sexual misconduct: Foreign Secretary
By IANSSunday, January 30, 2011
NEW DELHI - With the recent behaviour of some Indian diplomats creating public embarrassment for the country, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has warned potential offenders that there will be zero tolerance for incidents of sexual misconduct and domestic violence.
“The ministry will deal with incidents of sexual misconduct and domestic violence with zero tolerance and will take punitive measures against offending officials,” Rao has written to heads of missions.
“Any act of domestic violence or sexual misconduct will necessitate immediate recall of the officer and his dependents,” says her letter.
The ministry was quick to act against two Indian diplomats, Anil Verma and Alok Ranjhan Jha, by recalling them from Britain and the UN headquarters in New York respectively following allegations of domestic violence and sexual misconduct.
Verma, minister (economic) at the Indian High Commission in London, was recalled to India after being accused of domestic violence by his wife Paromita. Verma later charged that he was subjected to harassment by his wife and her family.
Jha, a diplomat posted to the Indian Mission in New York, was recalled after allegedly misbehaving with a female passenger on a flight to New York.
