TN ex-DGP gets three years in prison for sexually harassing young IPS officer in 2021

Former special DGP Rajesh Das was on Friday convicted on charges of sexually harassing a young woman IPS officer and awarded three years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,500.The Villupuram Chief Judicial Magistrate M Pushparani gave the verdict in the case filed in 2021. Former Chengalpattu district SP S Kannan has been convicted on charges of wrongful restrain and imposed a fine of Rs 500 by the court. He has been acquitted of other charges, including criminal intimidation.

According to sources, Das was awarded a three-year jail term and a Rs 10,000 fine under IPC section 354 A (ii) (assaulting or using criminal force to any woman with intent to outrage her modesty). He was also awarded three years jail term and a Rs 10,000 fine under section 4 of the Tamilnadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. He was also fined Rs 500 on charges of wrongful restrain under IPC section 341. Both the jail sentences will run concurrently.Das was accused of harassing a young woman IPS officer when she was on bandobast duty for the then Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's meeting at Namakkal on February 21, 2021. 

The case was investigated by the CBCID and Das, along with then Chengalpattu SP Kannan, was booked under four sections and two sections respectively. Kannan was accused of abetting Das to prevent the woman officer from lodging the complaint.The trial began at Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Villupuram on August 9, 2021.