Bombay High Court Overturns Sexual Harassment Ruling Against HDFC Bank Executive

The court ruled that the alleged actions did not meet the legal definition of sexual harassment under the POSH Act and criticized earlier investigations as flawed.

Vinod Kachave, an HDFC Bank executive, was accused of making inappropriate remarks and actions during workplace interactions in 2022.
The Bombay High Court found no evidence that the alleged conduct constituted sexual harassment under the POSH Act.
The court criticized the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and Pune Industrial Court for failing to rigorously assess whether the allegations met legal standards.
Key factors in the ruling included the complainant's delayed filing of the complaint and her lack of initial perception of the remarks as harassment.
The court also highlighted post-incident interactions between the complainant and Kachave, which cast doubt on the allegations.