A decision of the State Cabinet to “relegate” senior bureaucrat Biswanath Sinha to a relatively lesser post on Wednesday has set rumour mills rolling that the ranking official faced the prospect of workplace-related anti-sexual harassment inquiry.
Mr. Sinha has since denied the allegation to a set of television news channels and termed the speculation as wrong and malicious. He said postings were the prerogative of the Government and as a public servant, he had little say in the matter.
New posting
The Government had removed Mr. Sinha from the vital post of Principal Secretary, General Administration, and placed him in charge of Printing, Stationery and Sainik Welfare Departments.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has latched on to the controversy. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Jyothikumar Chamakala demanded that the Government institute a police probe into the alleged conduct of the officer. He told reporters that he had evidence that the senior bureaucrat had misbehaved with a trainee woman IAS officer.
He alleged the victim had given a complaint to her superiors at the civil service institute in Dehradun.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was cagey when journalists asked him about the development.
“It is true the officer has been placed in charge of a different department,” he said.
