Women panel sends notice to Punjab govt regarding #MeToo allegations against minister

The Punjab State Women Panel on Monday issued a notice to the Chief Secretary seeing a report within a week pertaining to the allegation against Punjab Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who has been facing charges of sending indecent messages to an IAS officer on her mobile phone two years.

In a verbal complaint to her seniors, the woman had alleged that the minister sent her inappropriate messages, which did not stop even when she objected. She added that she decided to complain after receiving a message late at night. The state women commission noted that 'any sexual overtures during or after office hours would not be tolerated.' The commission issued the notice taking note of a media report. The incident is from October 2018 when the #MeToo campaign was raging across the country, with women from various walks of life calling out their harassers.