Finally, the verdict has been delivered, and the woman employee working in the State Bank of India (SBI) has got justice. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed SBI for failing to protect its own female employee from sexual harassment. In this news article, we will provide every detail of the SBI Una case. So, give 5 minutes of your time and read the whole news.
What happened in SBI Una?
A young woman working as a deputy manager in SBI Una stopped attending duty from March 6, 2020. She was severely harassed by her branch head. She was frustrated with the misbehaviour of her branch head and even made multiple complaints to the regional office. But no action was taken against the branch head. Finally, she stopped going to the branch, and on March 9, she emailed her complaint to the SBI Chairman and top HR officials. She said the branch manager was harassing her and passing derogatory remarks against her.
She expected the bank to take action against the branch head, but the opposite happened. However, instead of sending this complaint to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) as required by the POSH Act, SBI treated the email as an invalid resignation letter and directed her to return to work. Shockingly, the bank even allowed the same accused branch head to issue notices to her and communicate further instructions. After 150+ days of absence, SBI applied its “deemed resignation” rule and removed her from service. Instead of treating her complaint with sensitivity and urgency, the bank declared that she had “voluntarily resigned” from her job.
A video went Viral on Social Media
Recently, a video of sexual harassment went viral on social media. The video was reportedly of Una.
SBI Una Branch Manager accused of harassing Female Employees. @TheOfficialSBI pic.twitter.com/cSJm3ws3mg
— Hellobanker (@Hellobanker_in) July 5, 2025
An RTI was filed to know the truth and the proceedings in the case, but SBI refused to give any information.
Court gives Order
Finally, the matter reached the High Court, and now the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the State Bank of India (SBI) failed to properly implement its own Garima policy, which is meant to protect female employees from sexual harassment. The Court said that although SBI has framed policies on paper, they were not followed when a female officer actually needed protection.
In a 35-page order, Justice Kuldeep Tiwari has cancelled SBI’s notice of November 21, 2020, which said the officer was deemed to have resigned from September 23, 2020. The Court also set aside all related inquiry reports and orders that had dismissed her complaints. The Court directed SBI to reinstate her with full continuity of service and all benefits that she would have received if she had never been removed.
In court, SBI said that her first complaint did not clearly mention sexual harassment, and her later allegations were time-barred. SBI even said that she was making false claims to avoid a posting outside her home state.
The Court dismissed these arguments completely. Justice Tiwari said the bank violated the POSH Act, 2013, SBI’s own Garima policy, and Basic principles of natural justice. The Court said a harassment complaint — even if not perfectly drafted — must be taken seriously, promptly investigated, and routed to the Internal Committee. The Court said that there were various lapses on part of SBI such as:
- The officer was not involved in the first inquiry.
- In the second inquiry, the committee only questioned her but never examined the accused branch head.
- Inquiry reports were not provided to her; she had to use RTI to get them.
- The bank failed to treat her complaint as a sexual harassment case, even though the Garima policy clearly defines harassment to include unwelcome behavior, stalking, taunts, and mental torture.
Justice Tiwari said SBI completely failed in implementing the Garima policy in real situations. The judgment stressed the importance of the POSH Act:
“The primary objective of the POSH Act is to prevent and prohibit all forms of sexual harassment of women at the workplace by fostering a safe, secure, and dignified working environment.”
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The Court reminded SBI that every complaint must be forwarded immediately to the Internal Committee. Instead, SBI ignored this basic rule. This case highlights a serious lapse by one of India’s largest banks. The High Court has made it clear that:
- Policies like Garima and POSH are not just for show—they must be followed strictly.
- Female employees must be protected, not punished for speaking up.
- A complaint cannot be dismissed or mishandled due to procedural excuses.
- Organizations must ensure that accused persons are not placed in positions to influence or intimidate complainants.
This case is a strong reminder that women must speak up against sexual harassment. If any senior harasses them, then they must file a complaint against them.
