Hyderabad: Begumpet police have registered two separate cases following a dispute between a hotel management and one of its women employees, with each side accusing the other of serious offences, including theft and sexual harassment.A representative of a hotel in Begumpet lodged a complaint against a woman employee, alleging that she stole cash from the bag of the hotel’s chairperson and later filed a false complaint against him after being confronted. In a counter complaint, the woman alleged that the chairperson had sexually harassed her and that the theft allegation was fabricated after she refused his demands for sexual favours.On Aug 19, police registered a case against the woman, who worked as the chairperson’s secretary, based on a complaint filed by the hotel’s HR manager.According to the complaint, the woman allegedly stole Rs 1 lakh from the chairperson’s office bag. The HR Manager further alleged that when she was questioned about the missing money, she lodged a false sexual harassment complaint against him to divert attention from the theft allegations.The complaint also alleged that she created a scene at the hotel and threatened to harm herself if action was initiated against her over the alleged theft.Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the secretary under section 306 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.On Aug 20, the woman lodged a counter complaint against the chairperson, HR manager, security supervisor and other staff members.The complainant, who said she had been working at the hotel since Dec 2023, alleged that the chairperson sexually harassed her by making inappropriate remarks and unwelcome physical advances. She further alleged that senior hotel staff forcibly took away her official laptop.Based on her complaint, police registered a case against the chairperson, HR manager, security supervisor, general manager, IT in charge and chief finance officer under sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 78 (stalking), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) read with section 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS.“We are in the process of collecting evidence in both the cases,” Begumpet inspector P Saidulu said.
