NEW DELHI: Executive director of Greenpeace India Samit Aich has resigned following an internal review of the “organization’s handling of two sexual harassment cases”.

Besides Aich, the NGO’s programme director Divya Raghunandan also resigned. Accepting both the resignations, the organization’s board decided to commission a “full, independent audit of how Greenpeace India dealt with the sexual harassment cases to strengthen the internal processes to ensure a safe working environment for women”.

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Appreciating Aich for 11 years of “dedicated service”, the NGO said in a statement, “In his time with Greenpeace India, Samit has overseen some of the organization’s biggest campaign successes and has also been at the helm during some of its most difficult times as the government has tried to silence its voice. This is the mark of Greenpeace India’s impact under his leadership and the board wishes Samit all the very best.”

The NGO had earlier “ended” the employment of two of its employees -- one allegedly involved in the rape of a woman employee of the organization and the other accused of several cases of sexual harassment.

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It had also tendered an unconditional apology for the way it handled the alleged sexual harassment case. The move had come after one of its ex-employees wrote an article on a web forum last week alleging rape and sexual harassment by colleagues at Greenpeace India.

The government had in April barred Greenpeace India from receiving foreign funds by suspending its licence for six months and freezing all its accounts after alleging that it has “prejudicially” affected the country's interests.

The Delhi High Court had, however, given it some relief last month, allowing it to access its two main domestic bank accounts. Relief to Greenpeace India had come at a time when it was pushed into a shutdown situation after the home ministry had frozen its seven bank accounts.