A private school teacher left home on Wednesday leaving a note stating that she wanted to end her life allegedly due to sexual harassment by a Sub-Inspector of K.P.H.B. Colony police station.
While the Cyberabad higher-ups suspended the SI, V. Sudhir Kumar, who was transferred to Dundigal police station two days ago, the K.P.H.B. police began efforts to trace the woman. The SI of 2007 batch was in-charge of crime detection work in K.P.H.B. Colony.
He was residing in a rented house in Addagutta in his police station area. The SI reportedly tried to befriend the teacher living next door. Police said he met the teacher nearly a year ago at her school on the pretext of seeking admission for his children.
Since then, he allegedly tried to converse with the teacher on some pretext or the other. He even collected her mobile phone number and started calling her up from different mobile phone numbers. He also sent her scores of text messages at odd hours. When her husband, Anil, a private company employee, objected to this, the SI allegedly threatened him with dire consequences if he tried to stop him. The traumatised teacher met the Cyberabad police higher-ups and complained about the harassment by the SI.
An internal inquiry was ordered and the probe revealed that the SI had spoken with the teacher over mobile phones several times for long durations. The call data record obtained by the police proved this. “She didn’t complain anything directly with us. In our preliminary report, we found prima facie evidence that the SI repeatedly talked to the woman,” KPHB Colony Inspector G. Baswa Reddy said. Even as the inquiry was on, harassment by the SI didn’t stop. The worried teacher, along with her husband and other family members, met the Madhapur DCP on Tuesday.
Complaint lodged
On Wednesday, the woman left the house stating that she was going to the school but didn’t return home. Later, her husband found a note which said that she wanted to commit suicide unable to bear the harassment by the police officer. He lodged a complaint with the police who registered a case of missing person and are trying to locate her.
Keywords: Sexual harassment, private school teacher, Addagutta
The SI should be thought a befitting lesson... for misuse of his
authority and power.
Transfer of the officer is not a right justice to the victim. He should be dismissed from office and bring him to the court. He should be brought to court with murder charges. Unless he is subjected to judicial system likely he will continue his attitude with other woman in future. One should ask him what would be course of action if some one does same with his family/ near and dear.
The lady and her husband met senior police officers, including the
Deputy Commissioner, and complained about the SI's behaviour. Were these
worthies sleeping or colluding with the SI till things came to such a
pass? Or were they unable to rein him in?
But they have nothing to fear. I am sure they will rise to the highest
position possible despite such incidents. In the government, especially
the police, abuse of power and incompetence are no impediment to career
advancement.
The concerned SI should be brought to the court of law and penalised in an appropriate manner so that the whole nation should be aware of the severity of punishment meted out to this SI. The women-related harrashments have become order of the day these days. We have to bring a national movement with the support of the people and all the right-thinking people against this plaque. Our forefathers were so respect of women that they gave voting-rights to women without any sort of agitation on the part of the women. Education is also extended to the ladies all over India. Legally our nation is in support of women. But only the society, that too only handful of few, is not ready to safeguard the freedom enjoyed by women. The day will come when the ladies will be totally free of all these hussles.
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