Hyderabad: A dispute between a Begum hotel management and a woman employee has snowballed into two separate police cases, said reports on Sunday, August 23.
While a hotel representative has pressed theft charges against the employee, the latter has registered a sexual harassment complaint against the hotel chairperson, said the Times of India.
According to the hotel’s complaint, the woman allegedly stole cash from the chairperson’s bag and then filed a false complaint against him. On her part, the woman, in her counter-complaint, alleged that she was sexually harassed by the chairperson and that the theft allegation was made because she refused to give in to his demands.
Brief timeline
The hotel’s HR manager registered a case against the woman at the Begumpet police station on August 19. The woman worked as the chairperson’s secretary. The complaint said she stole Rs 1 lakh from the chairperson’s bag. It further alleged that when she was asked about the money, she lodged the sexual harassment complaint.
A case was registered under Section 306 (theft committed by a clerk or servant against a master) of the BNS.
In her August 20 complaint, the woman, who was reportedly with the hotel since December 2023, alleged that the chairperson had consistently been harassing her by making sexual advances.
On her complaint, a case was registered against the chairperson, HR manager, security supervisor, general manager, IT in-charge, and the chief finance officer under Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 78 (stalking), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) read with Section 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS.
Confirming the cross FIRs, Begumpet Inspector P Saidulu said, “We are in the process of collecting evidence in both the cases.”
