Indian official at UN accused of sexual misconduct by 8 men
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NEW DELHI - An Indian official of the United Nations’ body working for the empowerment of women has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight men and is under investigation for the allegations, Hindustan Times has reported
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women or UN Women, however, refused to share details of the case.
“We cannot confirm nor deny the subject’s name and we cannot comment on any specifics of the case, as that could harm the investigation and disciplinary process,” it said.
US magazine Newsweek has identified the official as Ravi Karkara, a senior advisor, and said he had worked for Lakshmi Puri, an Indian diplomat who was formerly the assistant secretary-general for intergovernmental support and strategic partnerships at UN Women.
The United Nations indirectly confirmed the details of the case as reported by Newsweek.
“I would not dispute any of the information contained in the Newsweek article. I can confirm that the individual from UN Women has been under investigation,” Farhan Haq, a UN spokesperson, said in response to an email request for confirmation of the official’s identity as mentioned in the article and if he was under investigation.
Haq did not name the official or the person he worked for.
