NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JUNE 16
Sending a stern warning to all, especially men in uniform with animal instincts, former Special Director General of Police Rajesh Das was sentenced to three years imprisonment for sexually harassing a fellow officer.
A Villupuram court convicted the suspended IPS officer for sexually harassing a woman officer and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment and also levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 500 on a male police who had tried to stop the complaint from being filed.
- The woman IPS officer had filed a complaint against the senior officer in February 2021, alleging the officer had made sexual advances when they were travelling on duty
- The AIADMK government had suspended Das and constituted a six-member committee to investigate
The woman IPS officer had filed a complaint against the senior officer in February 2021, alleging the officer had made sexual advances when they were travelling together on patrol duty for the security of the then Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami.
The AIADMK government had suspended Das and constituted a six-member committee to investigate.
The report noted that after the woman officer lodged a complaint alleging sexual harassment by the Special DGP in his official car during their official visit to Ulundurpet District on February 21, 2021, the Director General of Police in Chennai initiated appropriate measures.
As a result, the CBCID filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the Special DGP and the Superintendent of Police, Chengalpet, under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, 1998.
In 2021, the Madras High Court took suo moto notice of the matter, describing it as “shocking” and “monstrous” with significant implications for women officers in the Tamil Nadu Police Force.
The court strongly condemned the incident and recognized it as an exceptional case that required close monitoring of the investigation.
“The prosecution had recorded statements of 68 persons including police personnel. The officer can prefer an appeal and seek an immediate bail” said a member of the prosecution team.
This issue had become a poll issue in 2021 and the then leader of opposition MK Stalin had assured due legal process and punishment if voted to power.
