Senior cop sang songs, tried to hold officer’s hand while on official duty, reveals FIR

CHENNAI: The senior police officer, facing sexual harassment charges by his subordinate, allegedly made the woman IPS officer sing a song, held on to her hand and tried planting a kiss on her hand on the evening of February 21, after inviting her to travel with him in his car while on official duty, according to the FIR filed by the CB-CID.

The woman officer had to sit through the ordeal, as she was asked to travel in the same car as the senior police officer, who allegedly made advances during the ride. As per the FIR, a copy of which is with this newspaper, he initially pampered the woman officer with snacks and a cushioned headrest inside the car.

Despite his efforts to make her ‘comfortable’, she started to sweat out of fear and anxiety arising from his advances. The senior officer gave her a towel, but continued to hold her hand. He asked her to sing a song, and then sang to her. Despite continuously resisting him holding her hand and informing him that she was not comfortable with his actions, the senior continued his inappropriate behaviour. He showed the woman officer a picture of hers he had clicked during an earlier occasion, which was saved in his favourite album, the FIR mentioned. He let go of her hand only upon reaching their destination and seeing other police officers, noted the report.

The woman officer immediately shifted to another vehicle and later to her official car to reach her district that night. The next day when she was travelling to Chennai, after informing her immediate superiors, to lodge a complaint with the head of the police department, she was stopped at a toll plaza.

The FIR also noted that the woman officer was forced to talk to the senior who allegedly told her that he was just being friendly and was ready to fall at her feet to apologise for his actions.

The officer was later allowed to proceed to Chennai. It is said that the senior officer made another police officer call the victim’s father-in-law to seek a compromise.

CB-CID has registered a case under IPC sections 354 A (2), sexual harassment; 341, wrongful restraint; 506 (1), criminal intimidation; and section 4 of TN Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. CB-CID SP Mutharassi is leading the investigation team.

The FIR also noted that the woman officer was forced to talk to the senior who allegedly told her that he was just being friendly and was ready to fall at her feet to apologise for his actions