Court Sentences Former Tamil Nadu Special DGP To 3 Years Imprisonment For Sexually Harassing Woman IPS Officer

A DGP-rank officer Rajesh Das has been convicted of sexual harassment by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Villupuram in Tamil Nadu. Das, who was a Special DGP in the state, had sexually harassed a woman Superintendent of Police while on duty in 2021.

Villupram Chief Judicial Magistrate Pushparani on Friday sentenced Das to three-year imprisonment and fine. The court also imposed a fine of Rs.500 on then Chengalpattu SP D Kannan, who had tried to prevent the woman IPS officer from lodging a complaint.

Background

The woman officer had complained to the Director General of Police, Chennai, alleging that she was sexually harassed by the Special DGP in his official car while they were on their way to Ulundurpet District on official duty on February 21, 2021. Thereafter, an FIR was registered by CBCID against the Special DGP and Superintendent of Police, Chengalpet, for offences under Sections 354A(2), 341, 506(1) of IPC and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, 1998.

A Committee was also constituted to enquire into the sexual harassment complaint given by the woman officer. She had also alleged that the Special DGP and others prevented her from filing a complaint.

The Madras High Court in 2021 had taken suo moto cognizance of this issue, calling it "shocking" and "monstrous" impacting the women officers belonging to the Tamil Nadu Police Force. The court had also strongly criticised the incident and noted that it was an extraordinary case which necessitated monitoring of the investigation. Following the court orders, the Tamil Nadu government had suspended the officer.

Supreme Courts Intervention

While the High Court was continuing to monitor the investigation, Das moved the Supreme Court seeking to transfer the trial out of Tamil Nadu. He contended that a series of orders passed by the High Court against him had prejudiced his chances for a fair trial and also sought to set aside all previous orders by the High Court. 

He also contended that since the High Court had ordered the trial to be completed in a time-bound manner without any adjournments, the investigating machinery was pressurized into filing the chargesheet in the shortest possible time.

The Supreme Court, then, closed the suo moto case registered by the High Court for monitoring the investigation and ordered that the trial court consider the matter on its own merit without being influenced in any manner by all the previous orders passed by the High Court.

Challenge against Suspension

Das had also approached the Central Administrative Tribunal in 2021 challenging his suspension from service. He claimed that the sexual harassment allegation was baseless and was only staged to prevent him from getting a promotion.