Chandigarh: A day after the education dept transferred a govt schoolteacher following allegations raised by 24 women staff members, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Chandigarh bench, on Wednesday stayed the transfer order till April 29, the next date of hearing.The tribunal, in its order dated April 22, noted that counsel for the applicant sought an interim stay on the transfer. It issued notice to the respondents, with their counsel accepting the same, and directed that a short reply be filed.“In view of the facts on record, the transfer order qua the applicant is stayed till the next date of hearing,” the order states, while listing the matter for April 29 for further consideration.The tribunal also recorded that the applicant’s counsel would seek necessary instructions, indicating that the matter will be taken up again after the respondents place their response on record.The teacher had been transferred on Tuesday as an interim administrative measure after the issue came into the public domain. The education dept had said the move was aimed at ensuring a “safe and neutral environment” pending inquiry.The development comes in the backdrop of a complaint submitted on February 12 to the school’s Internal Complaints Committee by 24 women staff members, alleging harassment and intimidation by the male colleague. According to school sources, no interim action had been taken for over two months following the complaint, during which the accused continued to attend duty.Following this, the department ordered the transfer a day earlier, even as it stated that a committee had been constituted to conduct a time-bound inquiry under the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.
