Stalin demands arrest of ex-special DGP booked in alleged sexual harassment case

He also demanded the arrest of other police officials who attempted to prevent her from lodging the complaint against her superior

DMK president M K Stalin on Friday demanded the immediate arrest of a special DGP rank official facing sexual harassment charges by a woman IPS officer as he charged the Tamil Nadu government with 'shielding' the accused.

Also, he demanded the arrest of other police officials who attempted to prevent her from lodging the complaint against her superior.

The state government had on February 24 removed the special Director General of Police (Law and Order) and placed him on "compulsory wait" after the woman officer filed a complaint of sexual harassment against him.

The Madras High Court had on March 1 on its own took notice of the matter and said it would monitor the probe into the case to ensure that the fundamental rights of the survivor official to a free and fair investigation was not reduced to an empty ritual.

Condemning 'threats' issued to the woman IPS official, the DMK chief accused the state government of shielding the DGP rank official and a Superintendent of Police, who allegedly attempted to prevent her from proceeding to lodge the complaint, despite the Crime Branch CID police registering an FIR against the two.

"Why are the two police officers involved in such crimes still not suspended and arrested?", Stalin asked, in a statement here, and claimed the FIR was registered only after the DMK and several organisations protested. Stalin said "it is certain that women of Tamil Nadu will give a fitting reply" to the chief minister in the assembly April 6 elections.

"The state Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary should order the arrest of the two police officials. In case there is delay in arresting them, the Election Commission should intervene and take action," he urged. The state government has also constituted a woman IAS official headed six member committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against the officer. Ten woman IPS officers had recently met the state DGP and sought action against the accused officers.