“She met Bharath there in 2006. From then on, Bharat started messaging her. One day, she had to service a client request and had to go a little away from the City. Bharath, who accompanied her, reportedly made sexual advances. She was traumatised and reported the incident to Mr Ramesh, area sales manager and he asked her to move to any other branch. She was moved to our branch, but in November, 2006, on the orders of higher-ups, she was shifted to the regional office. Since I was her immediate boss, she started confiding in me and told me about her marital problem and Bharath’s harassment. I met national head, ING Vysya, Kamal Pasha on August 4 and told him everything. He said he would move her back to our branch. In July this year, she re-joined the Netkalappa Circle branch. But even here, Bharath didn’t spare her,” charged Prashanth.
Shylaja had acute neck and shoulder pain and was taken to Hosmat one month ago by Prashanth. She was under the treatment of Dr Binoy Mathews, physiotherapist, Hosmat. “She had spondylitis and was depressed. She told me that she was facing mental harassment at work. Once, she told me that she was being harassed by the regional head,” said Dr Binoy.
Twist
In a message to Shylaja, on August 18, Dr Binoy had written to her that she could confide in him if she wanted to, and that he will not be like Prashanth.
“On Friday, Shylaja called me; she was weeping. She asked me not to take Prashanth’s call. I called him and asked him what was the matter. He said he would handle it. I tried calling Shylaja but there was no response. Prashanth called me at around 7.30 pm and broke the news of her death,” said Dr Binoy. On Friday, which was also Varamahalakshmi festival, Shylaja came dressed in finery to office. “She looked like Lakshmi but wasn’t herself. Some of our colleagues asked her why she didn’t wear her mangalsutra...that may have upset her because not everyone knew about her marital status. She broke down and left the bank at around 4 pm. At 4.30 pm, she called me and said that she’s fed up with the harassment, before thanking me for my support. I sensed trouble because on this Nagarpanchami, she had slit her wrist and I had pulled her up for that. I asked her to calm down. At 5.59 pm, she again called me and that’s when I heard some sounds of struggle from her side. I rushed with my parents and colleagues to her house. It was locked, we broke open the rear door and found her hanging. I tried giving her artificial resuscitation but nothing helped. We took her to Bharathi Nursing Home but the doctor said she had died 10 minutes ago,” said Prashanth.
Destroying the note
“Shylaja called Dr Binoy at 6.03 pm on Friday. There was a missed call from him at 5.49pm. One more person by the name of Vijay called her at 5.47pm. The last call she made was at 6.18 pm. Prashanth called her at 6.36 pm but didn’t get a response. She must have taken her life between 6.18pm and 6.36pm,” said her elder brother Umesh. The family suspects that she had left behind a suicide note. “We found a pen lying next to her. She must have written something, which these bank people destroyed because they were the first ones to reach her,” he charged. “Bharath called me at 11.30 pm and asked me about the incident. I told her she was no more. He said he would accompany me to her house on Saturday. I didn’t hear from him after that,” said Prashanth.

BANK CLARIFIES
ING Vysya Bank, on Saturday expressed condolence at the demise of their employee Shyalaja Praveen. In a release, the Bank has clarified that contrary to media reports, they have “well established policies and procedures against harassment and that there are multiple formal channels open to the employees to represent grievances.” On verification of a reported complaint filed by Shyalaja to Bank’s national head Kamal Pasha about her sexual harassment, the Bank has further clarified that this speculation is “unwarranted. The Bank will render all support and co-operation with investigating authorities,” stated the release.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT BILL
Sexual Harassment Bill, is yet to be passed by Parliament. In the absence of the Act, the Supreme Court, in the case of Vishakha vs State of Rajasthan, 1997, laid down certain guidelines for the protection of women employees in public and private offices against sexual harassment. These include constitution of a complaints committee headed by a woman and not less than half its members, women. The third party should include NGOs. The SC defined sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexually determined behaviour whether directly or by implication... an unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.”