Activist Rehana Fatima, 33, who stirred a controversy two years ago following her attempt to enter the Sabarimala temple, has been ordered to go on compulsory retirement by BSNL.
Ms. Fatima, a telecom technician at the Palarivattom exchange, received the order from her controlling officer on Wednesday. She said she would take legal recourse against the order.
BSNL instituted an internal inquiry following her arrest by the Pathanamthitta police on May 27, 2018, on charge of fomenting enmity between communities by posting religiously controversial comments and pictures on Facebook pertaining to the entry of women of all ages to Sabarimala. She was placed on suspension.
The inquiry found her guilty and the order was issued asking her to go on compulsory retirement with immediate effect.
The order said it was not acceptable that Ms. Fatima “was ignorant of the consequences of her actions, as public tension was already mounting up at the point of time due to the movement against women entry in Sabarimala.” Hence, her acts were intentional.
“The action comes at a time when the police have not even registered a chargesheet in my case while proceedings are under way at the Central Administrative Tribunal on a petition I filed against my suspension,” said Ms. Fatima.
