HC to monitor IPS officer’s sexual harassment case against top cop

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Monday took suomotu cognizance of a woman Indian Police Service officer’s complaint of sexual harassment against special director general of police and said it will monitor the CB-CID investigation ordered by the state government on February 26.

The CB-CID has registered an FIR against the accused under sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 341, 506(1) under the IPC and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu prohibition of harassment of women Act 1998, officials said.

The agency will also investigate the role of superintendent of police (SP) of Chengalpet district, D Kannan, who allegedly stopped the woman police officer’s vehicle from entering Chennai when she was on her way to file the complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP) JK Tripathy and the home secretary.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras high court on Monday said he is taking suo motu cognisance and monitor the CB-CID probe.

According to a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident resulting in the complaint happened on February 21 when the complainant travelled in the accused’s car while on official duty for chief minister Edappadi Palanisami’s tour of the central districts.

The accused in the case denied the charges and said he is being subject to a media trial.

“I’m challenging the complaint; everything is hearsay,” he told HT.

“People who are politically motivated and professionally jealous are doing it. Why are people jumping the gun and conducting a media trial? Why can’t they wait to get access to the official complaint when nobody knows what is in it? Why so much uproar for something that hasn’t happened. Why are they not allowing a committee which has been constituted based on Supreme Court directions to function without influence? On what basis are people jumping to a conclusion?...this (suo motu) is because of things in the media. If there is substance in the original, if this is a solid case, why would you indulge in a media trial?” he asked. The Tamil Nadu government on February 24 formed a six-member committee to inquiry the case.