Authorities of SriLankan Airlines have been summoned to appear in the Metropolitan Court of New Delhi India on the 12th of August 2016 for the alleged internal sexual harassment of one of its Indian national female employees.
Summons for this purpose was addressed to CEO SriLankan Airlines Capt. Suren Ratwatte and served by New Delhi Metropolitan Magistrate judge Dr. Pankaj Sharma of 23, Patiala House Court New Delhi.
This case was initially scheduled to he heard on the 13th July 2016.
Speaking to Colombo Telegraph the prosecuting lawyer Ajay Varma confirmed that the summons had been emailed to CEO Capt. Ratwatte.
“My client is fighting for justice and now the airline is in contempt of court for non payment of victim’s salary. This is despite the stay of termination which was another method of harassment. As per laws of India when a victim raises a complaint of sexual harassment she cannot be transferred. Rather the perpetrator should be transferred. In the present case the airline first transferred the victim to Kochi and then to Bangalore. The airline is also in danger of failure to implement prevention of sexual harassment laws of India. My client served this airline diligently for 13 years up until this point” lawyer Vama said.
The incident dating back to 2011 is where an Indian national female employee of the national carrier alleged that her SriLankan Airlines Regional Manager had sexually harassed her.
However upon further complaining to the SriLankan Airline’s authorities she was informed that an internal investigation would take place. Subsequently there was neither an investigation nor a verdict into the matter.
She was subsequently fired.
The Delhi court Judge Pankaj Sharma who viewed her case found sufficient information to summon the authorities of the airline. The court document stated “Upon going through the entire material on record, this court is if considered view that prima facie sufficient grounds exists to proceed against accused for offence under section 26 of the sexual harassment of women in the work place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
Currently there are three cases running concurrently due to this incident with one of the cases being a criminal charge.
The name of Indian national female SriLankan Airlines employee has been with held to protect her identity.
Tsylana / August 10, 2016
“”Speaking to Colombo Telegraph the prosecuting lawyer Ajay Varma confirmed that the summons had been emailed to CEO Capt. Ratwatte.””
E-mail is still not legal- EULA. Fasmile is legal.
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Dankottuwa Manike / August 10, 2016
Neighboring Delhi Court is fast moving than the UN Courts on rape charges in Haiti.
Lokke nikkang bola wage karakenawa.
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arancha / August 10, 2016
“Neighboring Delhi Court is fast moving than the UN Courts on rape charges in Haiti.””
You don’t read about UN peace keepers and rape before commenting??
It was only last month that Samanta Power managed to have the law approved.
However she managed stage one because of practical constraints.
So from on when caught in the act they would be deported to their home country for prosecution. Like Sepala the Alitalia Hijacker the crowds would gather at the airport cheering Jayawewa and the President would personally offer him a fully paid stay at 5 star hotel (JR did it) and an opposition leader would give the Army man new business agent for Jeeps.
That is UN and its funding arms.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / August 10, 2016
Srilanka government must transfer this case to Colombo courts on the pretext of safety of the perpetrator, to be tried before Sinhala Judge and Sinhala prosecuters, threaten complainant of dire consequences if she appears in courts to give evidence, and finally after a flawed inquiry dragged over several years, acquit the culprit. This procedure is in keeping with the desire of Sinhalese that no Sinhala perpetrator of crime against a non-Sinhalese should be punished.
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Dankottuwa Manike / August 10, 2016
Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam
What kind of a nonsensical comment from a Colombo educated Royalist?
Why you think so weird?
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old codger / August 10, 2016
Dear Manike,
Truth hurts, does’t it?
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Uthungan / August 10, 2016
On the contrary it is a valid comment because there is the precedent of Douglas Devananda who was a minister in the previous government who evaded the summons of an Indian court of law on a charge of murder against him. The Indian government did nothing to assist it’s own court.
The CEO Sri Lankan Airlines Suren Ratwatte can follow that precedent and there is nothing the Delhi Court can do. After all it is not a grevious charge as in the former case.
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Adams / August 13, 2016
you think too much.
the spat with italy for shooting one poor malayalee fisherman is a big time diplomatic tussle with EU.
as with demala fisherman, demala deva is of no concern – JT’s have caused the chaos.
make no mistake if India decides they would lift ratwatte from his home like FBI did to a kid at surry.
sinhala monk was beaten at TN and that man was taken to task. he was a vaiko porriki.
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Spark / August 10, 2016
Truth will only sound weird to the perpetrators, their accomplices and their silent supporters, but truth is truth to the whole world at large.
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simon / August 10, 2016
truth is the daughter of time but not the authority- Bacon.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / August 12, 2016
You are unwilling to accept that there is institutional racism in the entire judicial sector comprising Police, Bar and Bench. Can you point out a single Sinhalese being convicted for commiting crime against Tamils since independance. Murders of Mylentenne and Kumarapuram where army personnel were discharged despite incriminating evidence of murder, charging a Tamil student who was stabbed by Sinhalese under PTA making up false charge of self inflicted injury,keeping several Tamils in prison without charges where they have not committed any offence are adequate proof of indicting Srilankan judicial system as biased. Naturally you who want to whitewash crimes of Sinhalese are jumping up when the truth about injustice to Tamils are expressed unequivocally.
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AshyD / August 10, 2016
Correct, Dr Gnana
Get the Ven. Gnanasara to hear the case.
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mike / August 10, 2016
The Regional Manager should consider retaining one of Sri Lanka’s imminent “lowyer”, Namal Rajapassa, to defend him !
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Diogenes / August 10, 2016
The country had been a den of all possible vice under the `Emperor of Medamulana`. For all top positions of his beaurocracy he preferred to select murderers,thugs,plunderers, rapists, pagaakaarayaas, komis-hitters, drug dealers, ethanol mudalaalis, booky-madalaalis,saffron-clad hora-kahakadayaas and all sorts of perverts because he was practising his own type of `patriotism` to make this country the Miracle of Asia!
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Joseph / August 10, 2016
The culture of Sri lankan community and its leaders is filled with corruption, abduction and murder of disssentors. Sexual abuse is nothing new in this society. It is done directly under the nose of the Buddha statues erected everywhere.
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The Oracle / August 10, 2016
……and other statues which are predominant in some parts of the country .
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shankar / August 10, 2016
no problem.srilankan taxpayer will pay her compensation and the perpetrators of the sexual harrassment will go scot free.that is srilanka culture.
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Spark / August 10, 2016
Justification of cowardly crimes takes place in many ways. The Mullah Ayotollah Khomeini stated that the war with Iraq was a holy war. He went further and stated that Iranian soldiers who die wounded or with bullet wounds on the front of the body will go to heaven. Though Iranians are a literate, the pseudo patriotism tossed in by these religious maniacs using religious slogans (because they cannot logically justify the law to their citizens) when stated repeatedly make those same citizens ignorant of reality and then blindly believe what is being stated. This is happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan and many other nations. In Sri Lanka during the height of the war with LTTE, we very often saw Sinhalese Buddhist priests visiting army camps and providing their blessings and guidance to the soldiers, while Lord Buddha has clearly defined in his teachings against intentional killing even if it is an enemy. We also see Sinhalese leaders very often making statements inside Buddhist Temples with complete approval and support from the Sinhalese monks inside. For the Sinhalese, Buddhism has become a god send which they use as a weapon and tool for the purpose of any action that is legally not righteous. We see it being used in race riots, justifying killing its own citizens, informing their presence in locations where their are no Buddhists living, land grabbing and even to justify a three wheeler stand. Therefore true Buddhism is a teaching and discipline towards righteousness and certainly is not found anywhere close to “Sinhalese Buddhism”. Sinhalese Buddhism is all about rituals almost 100% copied from Dravidian Hindu worshippers and the balance is criminality and illegality.
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senthil / August 10, 2016
Shankar,
what is tax and who works hard to pay tax. I think you are living in decent west and assuming same with where I am living.
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Diogenes / August 10, 2016
Spark, good.. enlightening! Don`t you remember a saffron-clad Rev. kahakadayaa (Alle Potawansa or some one) propounded a new Dharma about two decades ago which clearly said that killing enemy is a meritorious deed that would be more than enough to qualify one to attainn Nibbaana in next birth! Yet, I believe that there are good Buddhist monks and good Buddhists in this country. But very few. Dharmachakra is now running in the opposite direction gathering hellish speed as if driven by a mad yakkha towards hell! To this Sinhala Bawuddhaya the Buddha, The Great Teacher has become another God Almighty! Reverend Kahakadayaas have systematically mislead them , brainwashed them, and transformed Buddhism into another Bhakthi religion. Building more and more temples with more and more comfort. Building more and more Dagobas, Buddha Satatues, planting and nourishing more and more Bo trees.. recruiting more and more young novices and beguiling more and more upaasaka ammas for their nefarious activities…! Today – Bodhi Poojaawa is the main thing! Buddhism? Buddha Dharma ? Kaput!
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Ahfzll / August 10, 2016
The BUCK stops here !
The President appointed the Prime Minister. Any mistake that the PM makes becomes the responsibility of the President to normalize matters ( NOT by force) but by meeting out justice! ( Not via the Sri Lankan courts – PUHLEEZ.)
Having said that, The Prime Minister delegates responsibilities to his Ministers. Any malfunction of the responsibilities – by any one of the Minister’s he appoints – becomes his responsibility. ( Not via the Sri Lankan courts – PUHLEEZ.)
Them Minister’s in turn appoint people to various designations to see that their intent is carried out like clockwork. If it stalls then the said Minister is responsible for such failure – He, therefore must ensure that the incompetence or the failures of his appointee; the responsibility of which he should take upon his shoulders to make sure that justice is meeted, fairly and squarely. ( Not via the Sri Lankan courts – PUHLEEZ.)
Every person delegated a responsible position should take responsibility for any failure by the people he inherits at the various Ministries / Secretariats / Government Corporation/- by any / all he has given responsibility too. Failure on their part becomes the total responsibility of the Minister. So when we hear that AIR LANKA has sustained a huge Loss – the Employees responsible for the loss should take the responsibility and face penal charges, as should the Chairman for not having checks and Balances; The person who appointed the Chairman should be held responsible for the accruing loss as by appointing the Chairman, ( for whatever reason) his judgement has bee faulty. So he should take the total responsibility for such misdemeanors, as among other things, the responsibility he gave to people he considered worthy have not performed to achieve the objectives, required for progress of the Country.
The Citizens of this Country of mine, if they do NOT demand responsibility starting from the grass roots, to the highest of the land…… they will keep getting hoodwinked by those not willing to take responsibility for their actions.
No matter WHO ….. if some one has done something against the best interests of Sri Lanka then let the person who gave him such responsibilty be held responsible.( Not via the Sri Lankan courts – PUHLEEZ.)
Cheers!
Awaiting those who have failed in their responsibility justifying their incomptence – starting with the lowest in the land to the highest. If Sri Lanka is a failed state – it is the responsibility of the highest to delegate responsibilty … with responsibility.
OUR MEN !
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