Suresh Gopi, MP, and Chairperson of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) is facing criticism from the survivor and the SRFTI Students’ Union for delay in taking action against a top official of the institution, who had been found guilty of sexual harassment and multiple serious misconducts under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH) by an internal committee back in May 2026.
Speaking to The Hindu, the survivor, who was linked to the institute, said the authorities had not taken any action or communicated with her after the internal committee’s report found him guilty.
“I want the immediate termination of this person as per the rules. I have not yet talked openly about the serious findings in the report. Mr. Gopi or no one else from the institute has answered my questions on why no action has been taken even after two months. I really want to know what they have done in these two months,” she said.
She also expressed concern that the accused official was also appointed as a non-official member of the Organising Committee (South Zone) of the recently concluded Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), 2026, with his name being published on the MIFF website and in the festival booklet. Both the SRFTI and the MIFF function under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The students’ union said in a statement that the continued delay raised serious concerns about the institute’s accountability and commitment to enforcing protections guaranteed under the POSH Act.
“An individual found guilty by the inquiry authority continues to hold a position in a flagship Ministry event, while strict action based on the report remains pending. The survivor has already endured a prolonged inquiry, and such inaction enables discouragement to its core that even after an individual was found guilty of sexual harassment, accountability can be indefinitely delayed while positions of authority and public recognition continue to be conferred. What message does this send to survivors who choose to report sexual harassment despite immense personal, emotional, and professional costs?,” asked the union in the statement.
Published - July 09, 2026 09:14 pm IST