Maharashtra notifies Industrial Courts as Appellate Authority under the POSH Act

The Industries, Energy & Labour Department, Maharashtra Govt has issued a notification appointing 20 Industrial Courts as Appellate Authority in respective districts under Sexual, Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (“POSH Act”).

This notification was issued pursuant to the order of the Bombay High Court Division Bench in the case of Dasharath Kallappa Bhosale v. State of Maharashtra & Ors. (WP No 786 of 2021), where the Court observed that the Govt, was yet to issue a notification to designate the Appellate Authority as per the POSH Act & Rules.

The Bench was hearing a plea challenging an order passed by the Local Complaints, Pune imposing penalty on the petitioner. Aggrieved by the order, the petitioner had preferred an appeal before the Industrial Court which was rejected, on the ground of lack of jurisdiction to entertain the Appeal.