Punjab Police sub-inspector acquitted in sexual harassment case

CHANDIGARH: The district court acquitted a sub-inspector with the Punjab Police in a sexual harassment case as the prosecution failed to prove charges against the accused, who was booked under Section 354A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment)of the IPC. The accused, sub-inspector Davinder Singh, worked at ADGP office, Intelligence, Punjab. Allegations were levelled against him by a junior assistant working in the same office.
The accused was booked under Section 354A of the IPC on August 8, 2015. In her complaint lodged on January 12, 2015, the complainant said he had been sexually assaulting her since 2007.

It was stated that she joined office in 2006 and the accused worked in the same department.

In 2007, she said, he asked hers to stay back after office hours to complete some official work and she agreed. After the work was done, she said the accused offered to drop her home. However, she said he first took her to some other house and sexually harassed her. When she raised an alarm, the complainant said the SI took his revolver and threatened to kill her. She said he also asked her to sign documents saying whatever happened between them was consensual. According to the complainant, he lured her with a promotion, saying his brother worked with a senior official.

The complainant said she did not share the incident with anyone but when he continued his advances, she filed a complaint against him. The complaint was forwarded to the SSP, Chandigarh and a case was filed against the accused.

Defence counsel Rabindra Pandit argued that the accused was implicated. He also questioned the long silence of the complainant. It was pointed out that she did not share the incident with a single woman colleague. Besides, during cross-examination, the complainant could not tell where the house the accused supposedly took her to was located. She could not even tell if it was in Chandigarh, Panchkula or Mohali.