Tamil Nadu's former Special DGP convicted for sexual harassment of woman officer

Villupuram (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 16 : Tamil Nadu ex-Special Director General of Police Rajesh Das, who was charged with sexually harassing a woman IPS officer in 2021, was on Friday convicted and sentenced to three years Rigorous Imprisonment by a local court in Villupuram.

In addition, the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Villupuram has also imposed a fine of Rs 20,500.

The court also found guilty the then Chengalpattu Superintendent of Police Kannan, who was also named in the FIR, according to Amjath Ali, one of the lawyers who was representing the prosecution.

Earlier in 2021, the Tamil Nadu Home Department under the AIADMK government had suspended Das and constituted a six-member inquiry committee after the woman IPS officer alleged sexual harassment by Das who was the Special Director-General of Police (DGP) of Law and Order then.

The woman officer had filed a complaint against the senior officer in February 2021.

Several politicians in Tamil Nadu had criticised the then AIADMK-led State government. Chief Minister Stalin who was then in the opposition had warned that the DMK will launch a massive protest if the State government did not take action against Das.

Stalin had also pointed out how the Tamil Nadu government covered up a previous complaint against vigilance Director Murugan, who faced similar charges. He also added that then chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should hang his head in shame as a women police officer who was deployed on security duty was subjected to such kind of harassment.

"The protector also needs protection during the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rule. When a woman IPS officer is sexually harassed by a high-ranked officer and the Chief Minister takes no notice of it, what hope do women in the state have in this regime?" DMK MP Kanimozhi had tweeted back then.

President of the Makkal Needhi Maiam party, Kamal Hassan had said that he was shocked to know that a woman IPS officer was sexually harassed by a top police officer. Kamal Hassan demanded the Chief Minister to prepare a document to get justice for the victim.