Bombay High Court grants relief to bank executive in sexual harassment case

New Delhi: The Bombay High Court has granted relief to a senior executive of a private bank, ruling that singing songs and commenting on a woman colleague’s hair do not itself constitute sexual harassment at the workplace.

Justice Sandeep Maran, in an order dated March 18, observed that even if the allegations against the petitioner were proven, they did not provide a “concrete conclusion” of sexual harassment.

Vinod Kachave, an associate regional manager at HDFC Bank in Pune, had challenged a July 2024 industrial court order that upheld the bank’s internal complaints committee (ICC) report.

The committee had found him guilty under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (POSH Act) and recommended disciplinary action, leading to his demotion as deputy regional manager.

The woman complainant alleged that Kachave commented on her hair and sang a song referring to it.

She also claimed that he had made remarks about the private parts of a male colleague in the presence of female associates.

The high court, however, observed that even if the allegations were proven, they did not amount to sexual harassment, making it difficult to establish any act of sexual assault.