CHENNAI: A police head constable was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually harassing a 21-year-old woman, who was consuming food with her college friend in a car at the Elliot’s beach in Besant Nagar on Wednesday night, and for extorting Rs 8,000 from them.
According to sources, the woman, who is from Adyar and pursuing engineering at a private college in Kelambakkam, was sitting in the car at the beach and consuming food with her college friend from Arumbakkam around 8 pm on Wednesday when Joseph (34) flashed torchlight into the vehicle and entered inside.
Joseph is a head constable attached to the High Court Campus police station. He, however, showed an identity card and told the two that he was part of the Shastri Nagar police and demanded money. He threatened to “disclose” the duo’s “relationship” to their parents, book a case against the two and take them to the police station if they failed to pay.
The male student then headed to a nearby ATM to withdraw money. In the meantime, Joseph questioned the woman and sexually abused her. When her male friend returned, the accused took Rs 8,000 from him and rode away on a motorcycle, sources said.
After returning home, the woman narrated the incident to her sister, who, in turn, alerted their parents. Following this, her father lodged a complaint with the Shastri Nagar police on Thursday.
Based on inquiries, the police identified the accused as Joseph. Sources said that Joseph was posted on security duty at the Tirunelveli police commissionerate and had come to Besant Nagar for personal work. The Shastri Nagar police, which registered a case including under sections pertaining to sexual harassment, arrested Joseph on Friday.
