A former Special Director General of Police (DGP) and an SP will face trial in a sexual harassment case filed by a woman IPS officer, with the Madras High Court on Monday ordering the Villupuram court to complete the trial by or on December 20. The case pertains to the sexual harassment of a woman IPS officer by the then Special DGP in February 2021. The survivor was then waylaid by an SP, the other accused, when she was on her way to file a complaint. On Monday, Justice N Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court directed the trial court - the Villupuram Chief Judicial Magistrate court - to complete the hearing by December 20.
The court directed that the case must be heard on a day-to-day basis and that once the trial is completed a report is to be submitted to the High Court. “Ultimately, in a case of this nature, the criminal proceedings must reach its logical conclusion at the earliest possible time by holding proceedings on a day to day basis. The effectiveness of the criminal justice system largely depends upon the completion of the proceedings at the earliest and certainty of either punishment or acquittal, as the case may be, of the accused persons,” said the court. The High Court also directed the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID), which is investigating the case, to summon the witnesses without causing any undue delay.
Meanwhile, the Advocate General also submitted that the DGP and the CB-CID have recommended departmental action be initiated against four other IPS officers in the case. The Public Prosecutor informed the court that a total of 122 witnesses were examined and 35 witnesses were reexamined and their statements recorded. Apart from this 72 documents were collected, while CCTV footage of the DGP office was also examined.
While hearing the case, the CB-CID informed the court that a charge sheet had been filed against the suspended top cop, after obtaining government sanction, in the sexual harassment complaint filed by the woman police officer. The court appreciated the prompt action by the investigating authority - CB-CID - despite several hurdles including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CB-CID had filed the chargesheet against the two accused IPS officers on July 29. As per the final report, the former Special DGP has been charged under Section 354 (assault or criminal force of woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A(2) (making sexually coloured remarks) 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 506(1) (punishment for criminal intimidation) read with 109 (abetment of offence) Indian Penal Code and Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998. The SP has been charged under Section 341(punishment for wrongful restraint), 506(1) (punishment for criminal intimidation) Indian Penal Code.
The CB-CID took over investigations in the high-profile case back in March 2021. The woman IPS officer lodged a complaint stating that the accused Special DGP had harassed her while she was on duty during the former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s visits to certain districts.
* Names of accused officers have been withheld based on a Madras High Court order.