Nine TN cops refuse to act in sexual harassment case

It appears the colonial policing methods and the inhuman behaviour of many police officials are one and the same across the country.

A 23-year-old woman, who was victim of such behaviour in Tamil Nadu,had filed a complaint with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) against nine police officers for not registering her complaint about the sexual harassment she allegedly faced at a public event.

According to the complaint filed on Saturday, the police officers did not take any action on the alleged sexual harassment that she had faced on January 31. The victim, a volunteer with an environmental NGO based in Chennai was present at a public hearing on January 31 against the Pen Memorial on Marina beach where she allegedly faced the sexual harassment.

She said in the complaint that she was made to run around between the Triplicane police station and Anna Salai All-Women police stations.

She said that she and three other women had to endure mental trauma and pressure as well as abuse from the police while filing the complaint and obtaining a community service register (CSR) copy.

She mentioned in the complaint that at the All-Women police station, she was made to wait for long hours for the CSR copy with the officials informing her that they need permission from the Assistant Commissioner of City police to issue a copy.

The woman said that while she filed a complaint at the Triplicane police station at 3.40 p.m., she was given the copy only at 10.40 p.m. The police said that an investigation is underway concerning the complaint of the woman.

The nine policemen against whom the complaint was filed include Assistant Commissioner of Police, M. Bhaskaran.