SI arrested for harassing women staff of BPO

CHENNAI: A 30-year-old sub-inspector (SI) was arrested under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Women Harassment Act following a complaint lodged against him by two women BPO employees at Sembium.Investigating officer P Radhakrishnan told Express that G Iyyappan, a sub-inspector attached to the ICF police station and a Home Guard constable Babu, who were on patrol duty on September 4 night, saw two women walking near the Murasoli Maran Park in Perambur around 2.30 am.On noticing two youths on a motorbike patting the women from behind, the sub-inspector became suspicious and stopped the duo for questioning. His suspicion deepened when they sped off. Identifying themselves as G Janani and Nicola, the women showed their ID cards and claimed that they were employees of a BPO company in Porur, the inspector said.“The two were usually dropped by their company car at their house in Perambur,” the officer said. “But that morning, they got down at a 24-hour pharmacy near their apartment to buy some instant noodle packets.”After buying the noodles packets, they realised that they did not have enough money to pay for them. So, they went home, took out their ATM card, withdrew money and paid for their purchase, the inspector said.On their way home, the girls were stopped by the cops.Still harbouring suspicions despite the duo’s explanation, Iyyappan and Babu followed them to their apartment, where they conducted a thorough search of the rooms. They checked the DVDs and VCDs on the shelves and also looked around if they could get any other suspicious items, the inspector said.Meanwhile, the girls’ boyfriends also arrived at the flat. Nicola later told the police that the SI threatened to book them for prostitution and demanded `5,000 as bribe. “But he dropped the demand when Janani’s friend told him that he knew a vigilance officer,” Radhakrishnan said.The two filed a complaint with the police commissioner, who directed the case to Sembium police station. Registering a case against the sub-inspector, Inspector Radhakrishnan conducted an inquiry and found the charges to be true.The sub-inspector was arrested on Monday and produced before the Fifth Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore, which sentenced him to judicial custody.