A court in Tamil Nadu has recently pronounced suspended IPS officer Rajesh Das guilty in a high-profile sexual harassment case involving a female subordinate official from 2021.
Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) M Pushparani has sentenced Das to three years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 20,500.
The investigation into the case was carried out by the Crime Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu police, which also filed charges against then Chengalpattu SP Kannan for allegedly obstructing the woman from filing a complaint against Das while she was en route to Chennai. CJM Pushparani imposed a fine of Rs 20,500 on Kannan as well.
Despite the conviction, the court granted bail to Das and allowed him 30 days to file an appeal. The charges against him include sections of the Indian Penal Code related to sexual harassment, along with provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act.
The female Superintendent of Police had accused Das of sexual harassment in early 2021 when he held the position of Special Director General of Police (Law and Order). Initially, the Tamil Nadu government placed Das on ‘compulsory wait’ and downgraded his position before ultimately suspending him.
