CHENNAI: The Kelambakkam police on Monday booked a case against former DGP Rajesh Das, who was convicted in a sexual harassment case, following a complaint from Energy Secretary Beela Venkatesan stating that Das allegedly trespassed into her house at Thaiyur on Saturday and threatened the security guard there.
According to her complaint, police said Das and 10 others forcibly entered the house at Thaiyur on Saturday and assaulted the security guard, took his phone and forced him to clean the toilets in the house. The police booked a case under IPC sections 143, 448, 454, 352 and 506(i).
The police said neither Das nor Venkatesan were currently residing in the property and the electricity service connection was in the latter’s name.
On Monday, Das had submitted a complaint to the executive engineer of Tangedco in Chengalpattu district, urging immediate restoration of his electricity connection. He claimed that disconnecting his supply was illegal, as he is a ‘permanent resident’ in his house at Thaiyur. “On Monday, some employees came to my house in Thaiyur, Kelambakkam, and disconnected the electricity without any prior notice,” Das told TNIE.
While Venkatesan had said in her complaint that the property belonged to her, Das said he has been residing in the house since 1999 with the property registered in his name.
Alleging that the power supply was disconnected at the instance of Venketesan, he said he has lodged complaints with the executive engineer and DGP Shankar Jiwal via SMS. “I informed Tangedco officials about an ongoing divorce case between me and Beela Venketesan. I suggested that her directives to the electricity board are a result of this personal dispute and stressed that officials must adhere to legal procedures,” he said.
A senior Tangedco official told TNIE that when employees went to disconnect power, they asked Das to provide any evidence of him being a permanent resident. “However, he refused. Left with no option, we proceeded with it. So far, he is yet to submit any evidence.” Attempts to reach Beela Venketesan for comments were unsuccessful.