Meghalaya Woman's 'Harassment' At Golf Club: HC Quashes Panel's Plea

The Delhi High Court recently quashed the petition of the Meghalaya state women’s commission in the case of a woman’s alleged harassment at the Delhi Golf Club. The HC said that the commission does not hold any authority to summon the petitioner in this matter.

"The state women commission's order summoning the petitioner is quashed," said Justice Vibhu Bhakru, DNA reported. However, the court allowed the petition of the Delhi Golf Club.

A tribal woman, Tailin Lyngdoh, had earlier approached the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission. The Delhi Golf Club had apparently asked Lyngdoh to leave its dining room as she was wearing her traditional Khasi outfit. The club staffers went on to say that her outfit looked like a "maid's uniform"

After this, the state women’s commission had summoned the golf club secretary to discuss the case. But on July 13, the Delhi HC stayed the commission’s order to summon the DGC secretary. The commission had asked the secretary to appear before them in person on July 14 this year.

The DGC did not comply with the commission’s summons. It appealed to the HC that the commission does not have any jurisdiction to summon the DGC secretary in a case that happened outside the state.

In her plea to the commission, Lyngdoh accused the golf club of racial profiling. This is a punishable offence under the Indian Constitution.

The commission states that the Prime Minister’s office and the National Commission for Women have acknowledged the incident. And the National Commission for Schedule Tribes and National Commission for Human Rights are also petitioning for the tribal woman.

The woman is a governess working with an Abu Dhabi-based doctor from Assam who was invited as guest at the club on June 25. She was wearing a Jainsem, a traditional Khasi dress, when she was denied entry to the premises. This was highlighted in a Facebook post written by Niveditha Barthakur. She called the DGC's attitude “an example of North Indian bigotry, chauvinism and ignorance”.

ALSO READ: Here's How Rashmi Tiwari Is Helping Tribal Girls Turn Footballers