A former IPS officer ADGP Rajesh Das in Tamil Nadu was on Friday convicted and sentenced in a sexual harassment case.
The court sentenced him to three years imprisonment and also levied a fine of Rs 10,000 on him. He was charged with sexually harassing a junior woman police official based on her complaint in early 2021.
According to a report by LiveLaw, 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 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.
In April this year, the Madras High Court had rejected a plea filed by Das to recall the complainant back and cross-examine her. The court called the incident "shocking" and "monstrous", impacting the women officers belonging to the Tamil Nadu Police Force.
The AIADMK government had suspended Das following the court's observation and constituted a six-member committee to investigate. Das had also approached the Central Administrative Tribunal in 2021 challenging his suspension from service. He claimed that the sexual harassment allegations were baseless and was staged to prevent him from getting promotion, as per LiveLaw.
This issue became a major talking point during state elections in 2021 with the then leader of opposition MK Stalin assuring due legal process and punishment if voted to power.
