Chennai: Tamil Nadu CB-CID, tasked with probing the sexual harassment complaint against a suspended Special Director General of Police (DGP), has recommended the government to prosecute the senior officer and a Superintendent of Police (SP) who attempted to stop the complainant - a woman IPS officer.
The CBCID, in its report submitted to the government, has suggested disciplinary action against an Inspector General (IG), Deputy Inspector General of Police(DIG) and another SP for their attempts to dissuade the complainant from lodging a complaint.
While indicting the suspended senior IPS office, the report has also sought prosecution of the SP, who was comrade-in-arms, with the top police officer and restrained the complainant from entering into state capital while she was enroute to lodge her plaint to the then DGP(Head of Police Force-HoPF) J K Tripathy and the Home Secretary.
Two of the victim’s senior officers and another SP who preaches women empowerment in social media will face disciplinary action for his attempt at brokering reconciliation between the accused and the complainant, as per the report.
Based on the woman IPS officer's complaint, a case was registered against the accused DGP and the SP who prevented her entry under provisions of 354A(2)(outraging woman’s modesty), 341(wrongful restraint), 506(i)(criminal intimidation) along with provisions of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act by the CBCID Villupuram Unit, and the accused were chargesheeted.
Also Read: TN govt suspends former Special DGP on sexual harassment charges
Earlier in February, the accused DGP was supervising the security for the election campaign of former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. It was during this time the 58-year-old officer forced the 38-year old woman officer to travel in his car, made her sing and held her hands as she sweat besides showing her pictures which he had taken earlier without her consent.
The woman officer apprised her immediate seniors - the DIG and the IG, about the harassment she felt at the hands of the senior IPS officer. She left her station intimating that she would also be lodging a formal complaint with the DGP(HoPF) and the Home Secretary.
The accused DGP who got wind of the victim’s official and legal recourse made his foot-soldiers to contain the situation by making them call her. As their calls went unanswered, the accused pulled strings to restrain the victim from entering into Chennai. She was stopped at Chengalpattu by the then SP who intimidated her from moving beyond unless she spoke to the perpetrator over phone. The victim officer’s driver and Gunman were forced out of the vehicle as part of the reconciliation process. The accused DGP, over phone, told the victim that he would fall at her feet and apologise for his behaviour. While she was on her way, the victim’s husband called her to inform that another reconciliation attempt was made with her unaware father-in-law, with the same offer of the perpetrator prostrating before her.
