CHENNAI: In a setback to the suspended special DGP accused of sexually harassing an IPS officer, the Madras High Court on Wednesday turned down his plea to transfer the trial of the harassment case from the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court in Villupuram.
Dismissing the petition, Justice P Velmurugan ordered the trial be completed within three months. In his plea, the senior cop had challenged the territorial jurisdiction of the CJM in Villupuram, and asked for the case to be moved to a judicial magistrate court having jurisdiction in places where the alleged offence occurred.
The special DGP is facing charges of sexually harassing a woman IPS officer while they were on bandobast duty during a tour programme of the then Chief Minister in February this year. During arguments, his counsel had asserted that as per the complaint/FIR and final report, the alleged offence was said to have occurred between Namakkal and Ulundurpet, and the other alleged offence against the second accused (SP D Kannan) was said to have occurred at the Chengalpattu toll plaza. As such there was no alleged offence committed within the CJM’s jurisdiction.
Refusing to accept his contentions, Justice P Velmurugan dismissed the petition which also sought quashing of the Villupuram CJM’s order turning down a similar plea. Last week, Justice Velmurugan had dismissed as withdrawn a petition filed by suspended SP D Kannan seeking to be discharged from the case. Kannan is accused of intercepting the vehicle of the woman IPS officer, while she was on her way to Chennai to lodge a complaint against the special DGP, and forcing her to talk to the senior officer over phone.
Plea to quash ICC findings still pending
Another petition by the special DGP asking the findings of the internal complaints committee be quashed is pending before the High Court.