Guwahati, May 9: The Gauhati High Court has granted interim relief to Achyut Baishya, Principal of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, by staying a notice issued by a Local Committee constituted under the POSH Act directing him to appear in connection with a sexual harassment inquiry.
Baishya moved the High Court challenging the notice issued by the Chairperson of the Local Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, contending that the proceedings initiated against him were not legally maintainable.
In his writ petition filed against the Assam government and six departments, Baishya argued that once an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has been constituted within an institution, complaints should be addressed through that mechanism and not before a Local Committee. He further claimed that the complaint was filed beyond the limitation period prescribed under the Act.
During the hearing, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that the allegations pertain to incidents said to have taken place between November 2022 and July 2025, and therefore fall outside the time limit stipulated under Section 9 of the POSH Act. The petitioner’s counsel also referred to a Supreme Court judgment to support the contention that complaints must be lodged within the prescribed timeframe from the date of the alleged incident.
After hearing the submissions, the High Court issued notices to the respondents and fixed May 29 as the next date for hearing. The court also directed the submission of additional documents within one week.
Pending further hearing, the court stayed the impugned notice dated April 27, 2026, issued to Baishya until the next date of hearing.
The court further noted that the respondents, including the state government and health authorities, sought time to complete their instructions in the matter.
The case arises from allegations levelled by a senior woman doctor of GMCH, who accused Baishya of workplace harassment. In a complaint submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office on February 6, the complainant alleged inappropriate remarks, intimidation and sustained professional harassment.
The woman doctor, an Associate Professor and former Head of the Department of Clinical Psychology, also lodged a police complaint. She alleged that after initially receiving professional recognition, the situation changed when she was allegedly pressured to meet the principal alone in his office. According to the complaint, she felt uncomfortable with the interactions and later avoided such meetings. She also stated that communications between them were documented through WhatsApp messages.
Following the complaint, an FIR was registered and a government inquiry committee was constituted to examine the allegations.
