A perusal of Bhatia’s 20-page complaint reveals the following allegations:

• That since the year 2005 when she was the head of RAW’s training institute she was subjected to “vulgar comments” and “discreet sexual favours” sought by the agency’s top brass.

• That Chaturvedi subsequently tried to spoil her Annual Confidential Report (ACR) and in August 2007 she was posted back to the RAW headquarters. On August 3, 2007, a Joint Secretary on her desk offered her Rs 30,000 to spend a night with him in a hotel and even withdrew the sum from secret service funds.

• She says she was shocked to find that on her first official complaint on the incident, the RAW Chief wrote, “I don’t wish to be disturbed on such issues.”

• At that stage she said she made a formal request that an advisory be issued in the RAW to sensitise officers on gender issues and create greater awareness among them about Supreme Court’s guidelines on sexual harassment of women in the workplace. This, was, however, never done.

• Following her complaint, Bhatia says she received several calls (some anonymous) from woman employees in the R&AW about similar incidents of sexual harassment. She states in her complaint, “it became apparent that invitations for money and official favours were more a rule than exception. It also became apparent that special funds and facilities were being used for this purpose.”

In subsequent complaints, Bhatia has alleged that she has been put under surveillance by the R&AW and her telephone lines tapped.

... contd.