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Chapter V · Inquiry & Relief

Section 13

Inquiry report

Statutory textCounsel-reviewed publication
On the completion of an inquiry under this Act, the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, shall provide a report of its findings to the employer, or as the case may be, the District Officer within a period of ten days from the date of completion of the inquiry and such report be made available to the concerned parties.
Where the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, arrives at the conclusion that the allegation against the respondent has not been proved, it shall recommend to the employer and the District Officer that no action is required to be taken in the matter.
Where the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, arrives at the conclusion that the allegation against the respondent has been proved, it shall recommend to the employer or the District Officer, as the case may be—
to take action for sexual harassment as a misconduct in accordance with the provisions of the service rules applicable to the respondent or where no such service rules have been made, in such manner as may be prescribed;
to deduct, notwithstanding anything in the service rules applicable to the respondent, from the salary or wages of the respondent such sum as it may consider appropriate to be paid to the aggrieved woman or to her legal heirs, as it may determine, in accordance with the provisions of section 15:
in case the employer is unable to make such deduction from the salary of the respondent due to his being absent from duty or cessation of employment it may direct to the respondent to pay such sum to the aggrieved woman:
in case the respondent fails to pay the sum referred to in clause (ii), the Internal Committee or, as the case may be, the Local Committee may forward the order for recovery of the sum as an arrear of land revenue to the concerned District Officer.
The employer or the District Officer shall act upon the recommendation within sixty days of its receipt by him.

Transcribed from the official India Code source for reading and comparison. PIH plain-language guidance is editorial and separate; this page is not legal advice.

Source: India Code, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of IndiaRetrieved: 2026-09-10India Code PDF, pp. 9–10India Code PDF — last updated 31 August 2021

Plain Language

The committee must submit its findings report to the employer or District Officer within ten days of completing the inquiry.

The report must also be made available to both parties — the complainant and the respondent.

If the allegation is not proved, the committee recommends that no action be taken.

If the allegation is proved, the committee recommends action for sexual harassment as misconduct and may recommend deduction from the respondent's salary or wages of a sum to be paid to the aggrieved woman or her legal heirs as compensation. The sum must be determined in accordance with Section 15.

If salary deduction cannot be made because the respondent is absent or no longer employed, the statutory provisos provide alternative directions and recovery through the District Officer.

The employer or District Officer must act on the committee's recommendations within sixty days of receiving the report.

Why It Matters

The report is the formal output that triggers action and accountability. It is not an internal memo — it has statutory consequences.

The 10-day reporting deadline ensures the committee does not sit on findings indefinitely.

The 60-day action deadline holds the employer accountable for implementing recommendations, not just receiving them.

Making the report available to both parties ensures transparency and preserves the right to appeal under Section 18.

Practical Example

Report and action timeline

Scenario: The IC completes its inquiry on 1 March and finalises findings on 5 March. It submits the report to the employer on 10 March.

Outcome: The report was submitted within the 10-day window. The employer now has until 9 May (60 days) to act on the recommendations.

Recommendation implementation

Scenario: The IC finds the allegation proved and recommends a written warning and Rs 50,000 compensation deducted from the respondent's salary.

Outcome: The employer must act on the recommendations within 60 days. Filing a Section 18 appeal does not automatically stay implementation; any stay or contrary direction depends on the applicable court or tribunal, service rules, or other applicable legal position.

Who Must Act

ic member

  • Submit the findings report to the employer or District Officer within 10 days of completing the inquiry.
  • Make the report available to both parties.
  • Write findings and recommendations so they can be implemented without ambiguity.

employer

  • Act on the committee's recommendations within 60 days of receiving the report.
  • Track the 60-day action clock from the date of receipt.
  • Implement both disciplinary and compensation recommendations.

employee

  • Expect to receive the report outcome, not just an oral update.
  • Note the date of receipt for calculating the appeal window under Section 18.

Compliance

✓

Submit inquiry report to employer or District Officer within 10 days of completion

Actor: Internal Committee / Local Committee · Rule: Section 13(1)

✓

Make the report available to both parties

Actor: Internal Committee / Local Committee · Rule: Section 13(1)

✓

Act on recommendations within 60 days of receiving the report

Actor: Employer / District Officer · Rule: Section 13(4)

✓

Act on a compensation recommendation, including the statutory alternatives where salary deduction cannot be made

Actor: Employer / District Officer · Rule: Section 13(3)(ii)

Timelines

Report submission: 10 days from completion of inquiry

The committee must submit its findings report to the employer or District Officer within 10 days of completing the inquiry.

Action on recommendations: 60 days from receipt of report

The employer or District Officer must act on the committee's recommendations within 60 days of receiving the report.

Common Mistakes

✗

Delaying the report beyond the 10-day window — this is a statutory deadline, not a guideline.

✗

Providing only an oral update to the parties instead of making the written report available to them.

✗

Treating the 60-day action deadline as optional — non-implementation can itself become a ground for appeal under Section 18.

✗

Assuming that filing an appeal automatically stays the employer's implementation obligation.

✗

Ignoring the salary-absence, cessation-of-employment and arrears-of-land-revenue provisos in Section 13(3)(ii).

Related Sections

§11Inquiry into complaint — The inquiry under Section 11 produces the findings that form the basis of the Section 13 report§14Punishment for false or malicious complaint — If the committee finds the complaint was malicious, it may recommend action under Section 14 as part of the same report§15Determination of compensation — Compensation recommendations must have regard to the factors listed in Section 15§18Appeal — The report triggers the appeal window under Section 18 — parties may appeal within 90 days§19Duties of employer — Section 19 requires the employer to monitor timely submission of reports by the committee

Related Rules

Rule 9Manner of taking action for sexual harassment — Rule 9 prescribes the manner of taking action where sexual harassment is established under Section 13(3)(i). Official Rules source

Source & Status

Source and review statusPublication ready
Source version
India Code PDF — last updated 31 August 2021
Source location
India Code PDF, pp. 9–10
Retrieved

View the official record page

Statutory blocks are kept separate from PIH plain-language and operational guidance. The reading copy is not legal advice.

Legal review status: counsel-reviewed. All sections have valid documentary counsel evidence and publication signals are enabled.

Judicial material: no verified judicial interpretation is published in this reading copy. Judicial analysis is a separate layer from the statutory transcription and PIH editorial guidance.