Former Special DGP of Tamil Nadu Rajesh Das was convicted in a sexual harassment case and sentenced to three years imprisonment and Rs 10,000 fine by a court in Villupuram on Friday, June 16. He was accused of sexual harassment by a woman IPS officer in 2021 when they were on protocol duty. The Villupuram court imposed a fine of Rs.500 for the then Chengalpattu SP D Kannan, who had tried to prevent the woman IPS officer from lodging a complaint.

The case dates back to February 21, 2021 when Rajesh Das, who was the then Special DGP, and the woman IPS officer were providing security to the then Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami during his election campaign. The woman IPS officer had alleged that Rajesh Das had sexually harassed her in his vehicle. Another SP D Kannan had also allegedly prevented the woman IPS officer from lodging a complaint against Rajesh Das, allegedly on his orders.

Rajesh Das, who was placed under suspension, was booked by the CB-CID for outraging the modesty of a woman under the Indian Penal Code and also under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act. In March 2021, the Madras High Court expressed shock over the sexual harassment allegations against the former special DGP and the SP for attempting to dissuade the woman IPS officer from filing a complaint. The High Court ordered that it would monitor the probe.

In April this year, the Madras High Court had rejected a plea filed by Das to recall the complainant back and cross-examine her.