The Hyderabad centre of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has reportedly asked 56 women housekeeping staffers to leave after they levelled allegations of sexual harassment against an employee. Some reports say the accused works as a stenographer.

The News Minute had reported that this happened after the 56 women staffers at NIFT accused the employee, identified as D Srinivas Reddy, of sexual harassment

While NIFT has reportedly asked the agency to send a replacement for the 56 women, stenographer D Srinivas Reddy continues to work at the Hyderabad centre. The case dates back to October last year when the supervisor of the housekeeping staff filed a complaint against Reddy for sexually harassing housekeeping employees, the report said.

The supervisor told The News Minute that Reddy used to sexually harass women employees on the campus, by touching the women staff inappropriately, clicking photographs without consent, passing inappropriate comments, the supervisor told The News Minute and added that the accused harassed women for a year.

The complainants approached the campus authorities but were not responded to. So a case was registered with the police and Reddy was booked for sexual harassment. After the case was highlighted by the media, the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of NIFT approached the complainants. The supervisor said ICC claimed to have sent a report to Hyderabad, but a committee member told TNM that they weren't aware of any such report.

Over six months after the complaint was filed, Reddy continues to work at the NIFT centre while 56 women have been reportedly asked to leave. Some of these women had been working at the campus for the past 20 years.

Later, they reinstated 56 female housekeeping workers, who were reportedly sacked after they complained of sexual harassment by a male employee. Facing criticism from several quarters, NIFT withdrew its earlier decision to terminate their services and have asked the women employees to resume their work. However, according to news agency IANS, the contract is ending by June end, the management has reportedly asked the manpower agency to recruit new employees in place of the existing ones.