New Delhi, April 24: Nisha Priya Bhatia, the RAW officer compulsorily retired after she levelled charges of sexual harassment against her superiors, has urged the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to change rules to permit “harassed” women to have a greater say in an inquiry.

Existing rules allow only two parties in an inquiry into sexual harassment charges — the government which conducts the probe and the “accused” official.

The victim who complains of harassment is left out in the cold, Bhatia, 50, said. “Once she has complained, her role is over. “At its discretion, the committee inquiring into the charges may or may not call her.”

She referred to the Central Civil Services (conduct) Rules, 1964, and the CCS (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, to press her case. “Even though 13 years have passed since the Supreme Court laid down the Vishaka guidelines on sexual harassment at the place of work, these rules have not been amended,” Bhatia, who have filed a petition seeking to enforce the changes, said.

The Centre has amended its rules to make sexual harassment an act of misconduct on the part of a government official, she said. But other changes were still needed to make a substantive impact on the ground.

The loopholes include a very limited definition of sexual harassment, she said, restricted to “unwelcome sexually determined behaviour”.

The rules, she claimed, incorporate only those elements which a victim finds extremely difficult to prove.

The chairman and the members of the committee should preferably have some sort of legal background since sexual harassment involves criminal offences, she said.