Woman cop moves Madras HC seeking transfer of senior

A woman Superintendent of Police, who had filed a sexual harassment complaint against Joint Director of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption S Murugan, on Friday approached the Madras High Court seeking his transfer till the enquiry is completed.

Admitting the plea, Justice Satrughana Pujahari ordered notice to the DVAC and sought a response by September 11.

The woman officer had filed a complaint with the director of DVAC against Murugan accusing him of harassing her in August, following which an Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) was instituted to go into the issue.

The officer feels that continuance of Murugan in the same office will not augur well for any inquiry “since colleagues and other staff may feel threatened to depose against him.”

“His continuance in the post would make any inquiry ineffective as the witnesses who need to testify in the inquiry would all be working under him and it would be unreasonable to expect that they would act independently and testify before the ICC,” she stated in the petition.