A local court in Villupuram on Friday, June 16, 2023, convicted Tamil Nadu ex-Special Director General of Police Rajesh Das in the case relating to the sexual harassment of a woman Superintendent of Police while on duty in February 2021.
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The incident occurred when he and the officer were part of the security arrangements for the then Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, during an election campaign.
Chief Judicial Magistrate M. Pushparani found Mr. Das guilty and sentenced him to undergo three years of Rigorous Imprisonment under Section 354 A (2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and slapped a fine of ₹10,000. The court also sentenced him to three years of RI under section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman (Amendment) Act, 2002, and imposed a fine of ₹10,000. For offence under Section 341 read with 109 of IPC, he is sentenced to pay a fine of ₹500. The sentences would run concurrently, Deputy Director of Prosecution Y. Amjad Ali said.
The court also suspended the sentence for 30 days, so that Mr. Das can appeal in a higher court.
Former Chengalpattu SP also convicted
The CJM also found guilty the then Chengalpattu Superintendent of Police Kannan, who too was named in the FIR for stopping the woman police officer while she was proceeding to Chennai to lodge a complaint against Rajesh Das. The judge imposed a fine of ₹500 on him.
The Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department filed a 400-page chargesheet against Mr. Das in July 2021 and the trial commenced in the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Villupuram in 2021. During the trial, over 70 witnesses were examined.
