A Dalit contractual worker from Haryana’s Public Health Department has accused a Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officer of sexually exploiting him at gunpoint, while also making casteist remarks. The incident allegedly took place in Hisar district, and the worker claims the abuse continued for several months.
On Thursday, November 7, 2024, the state government suspended the accused officer, who is posted in a district, although the suspension order did not specify the reasons behind it.
The worker, in his complaint, detailed how the officer, who had recruited him as a peon on a contractual basis, repeatedly called him for massages at his official residence. According to the worker, when he refused the officer’s advances multiple times, the officer threatened to fire him, wielding a pistol to enforce his demands.
“Later, I filmed a video of this exploitation to gather evidence. I stopped going there, deciding to either die or lodge a complaint against him. I am a cardiac patient,” the worker told reporters, adding that the abuse had been going on for the past six months.
The worker further claimed that the officer made inappropriate advances while receiving massages in the driver’s room at his residence.
The worker has submitted his complaint not only to the police but also to the National Human Rights Commission and the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Hisar’s Superintendent of Police, Shashank Kumar Sawan, confirmed the receipt of the complaint and said, “We have called him to record his statement.”
