The Pune Municipal Corporation has restricted a former deputy mayor from entering its headquarters after a woman employee accused him of inappropriate behaviour during working hours, with the complaint now referred to the civic body’s Vishakha Committee.
The alleged incident took place on Thursday afternoon, November 5, while a Standing Committee meeting was under way at the PMC headquarters. Several officers and employees were present for the meeting, while some staff members had left during the lunch break, according to the complaint cited by Pune Mirror.
The woman employee alleged that she was carrying out her official duties when the former office-bearer approached her, grabbed her hand and spoke to her in an inappropriate and abusive manner. She moved away from him and later informed senior officials about the incident.
The complaint has been submitted to the PMC’s Vishakha Committee, the institutional panel responsible for examining workplace sexual harassment complaints. The committee’s inquiry will determine the next steps in the matter.
PMC security officer Rakesh Vitkar confirmed that the former deputy mayor’s entry to the civic premises had been restricted until further orders. According to Vitkar, the measure was intended to prevent pressure from being exerted on the complainant and to protect evidence connected with the complaint.
The entry restriction places the civic headquarters’ access-control system at the centre of the immediate response. A municipal headquarters is both an administrative workplace and a public-facing institution, with elected representatives, officials, employees and visitors regularly moving through its premises. In this case, the restriction was imposed while the complaint was being examined by the designated internal mechanism.
The incident has reportedly led to resentment among PMC employees, who are seeking firm action against the former elected representative. The report does not establish the allegations as proven, and any further action will depend on the findings of the Vishakha Committee’s inquiry.
The committee’s examination is the next official step in the process. The PMC’s response, including any decision after the inquiry, will depend on the findings placed before the civic administration.
