The Madras High Court said it will monitor the ongoing investigation by the CB-CID into the sexual harassment charges against former Special DGP (law and order) Rajesh Das. In a suo motu petition, the high court also cautioned media against revealing the name of the victim.
The CB-CID has been directed by the court to file regular progress report of the probe in the case. Justice N. Anand Venkatesh ordered no politicisation in the case and said he was "deeply saddened" by the issue .
A woman IPS officer had last week filed a complaint with DGP J.K. Tripathy, accusing Das of misbehaving with her while on duty. The government had constituted a six-member panel to probe into the complaint and transferred Das and kept him in the waiting list.
The woman officer alleged that Das misbehaved with her during the tour of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to the central districts. She said the incident took place in the vehicle of the accused. Although there were several attempts by senior officers in the department to persuade her to withdraw the complaint, she refused to budge.
On Sunday, a case was registered by the Crime Branch CID against Das under section 354 (outraging modesty of a woman) of IPC and sections 3 and 4 of the TN Prevention of Women Harassment Act. The Crime Branch will also probe the actions of Chengalpattu SP D. Kannan, who allegedly attempted to intercept the woman IPS officer's vehicle on February 22 when she was travelling to Chennai to lodge the complaint.
Meanwhile on Monday, DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI, saying the woman officer was receiving threats after she filed the complaint.
"The sexual harassment case against the DGP has to be shifted to the CBI as we want an independent and fair inquiry into this matter. The officers involved need to be suspended and arrested immediately. Sources say that the woman IPS officer is receiving threats. This is shameful,” tweeted Kanimozhi.
