A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the Chief Conservator of Forest, Trichy, Tamil Nadu on Friday, August 9, for sexually harassing a female Tamil Nadu State Forest Services officer. The FIR was registered by the Cantonment All Women Police Station (AWPS) in Trichy, after a direction by the Madras High Court.
The accused, N Satheesh, had been demanding sexual favours from the female officer since 2017. The survivor moved the Madras High Court (HC) in September 2023, citing inaction by the police and the Forest department despite her repeated complaints. Although three officers – N Satheesh, Senthil Kumar (Additional Principal chief Conservator of forest, Nagaland) and Sujatha (Conservator of Forests, Planning and Budgeting, Chennai) – were named in her complaint, only N Satheesh has been named in the FIR.
The accused, has been booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 354-A (1) (ii) (prohibiting any man from making demands or requests of sexual favours) and Section 4 (prohibition of harassment of women) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Harassment of Women Act. However, N Satheesh is yet to be arrested by the police.
In 2017, N Satheesh sought sexual favours from the woman and also asked her husband to make the woman comply with his demands. The woman while speaking to TNM earlier had alleged that another officer named Senthil Kumar, who at the time was the District Forest Officer, had also joined in over a conference call with Satheesh and asked the woman’s husband to comply with Satheesh’s demands with the promise of taking care of their job transfers.
Later, in 2018, when the woman was in Dehradun for academy training, her superior officer Sujatha had also encouraged her to agree to Satheesh’s demands. “The constant harassment led me to submit a written complaint to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (head of department), naming Satheesh, Sujatha and Senthil Kumar in 2019,” she had earlier told TNM.
An Internal Committee (IC) was formed and an inquiry was conducted. However, the IC concluded, “unravelling the full truth would require a full-scale forensic examination of all records and criminal investigation… it may be referred to suitable police/other authorities if suggested by the complainant.” However, her senior officer – the Conservator of Forests – had not handed over the case to the police department despite repeated requests.
Following reported inaction, in July 2022, the woman filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Trichy, but they allegedly didn’t respond. She therefore moved to court.
The court will hear the case again on Monday, August 19.
