MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently rejected a plea filed by a former police inspector from Madurai, challenging her dismissal from service over an extortion case registered against her in 2021.
M Vasanthi, who was working as an inspector in Nagamalai Pudukottai police station in Madurai, was booked for allegedly extorting Rs 10 lakh from K Arshath of Sivaganga, by seizing his bag in the guise of investigating a fake currency transaction. When he asked her to return the bag, she claimed that there was no money in the bag and allegedly threatened him into silence.
When the case was pending before the lower court, another FIR was registered against Vasanthi for trying to tamper with the witness by paying money. The case was registered based on a report filed by a special police team, which was formed pursuant to the court's directions as the court suspected foul play upon hearing that Arshath entered into a compromise with Vasanthi. Arshath also gave a statement that he was pressured to compromise and was paid Rs 5 lakh as advance.
Considering all this, the inquiry authority dismissed Vasanthi from service without holding an inquiry. Challenging this, Vasanthi had moved the high court. Justice GR Swaminathan, however, dismissed her petition. He observed that the competent authority had rightly come to the conclusion that it was not reasonably practicable to conduct an inquiry against Vasanthi, considering how she managed to influence the complainant, on whose testimony the departmental inquiry solely rested on.
"By waiving the procedural safeguards, no injustice has been done to the petitioner," he further added but clarified that this order would not have any bearing on the criminal proceedings pending against Vasanthi.