Inspector gets 10-year RI for abetting suicide

The Mahila Court here handed on Monday 10 years rigorous imprisonment to a police Inspector after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting and abetting the suicide of a woman in Thanjavur a decade back.

Judge Poorna Jaya Anandh held Inspector Sethumani Madhavan, at present Inspector of Police at Madurai Teppakulam station, guilty of multiple charges leading to the death of a woman software engineer Akila alias Akilandeswari of Coimbatore. The prosecution said an individual, Karthik, had preferred a complaint with the Superintendent of Police, Thanjavur, that Janakiraman and Ilayaraja of Thanjavur along with Akila, who was working as a human resources officer with a software company in Chennai, had received money from him for getting him a job but did not make good the promise.

Thanjavur Medical College police registered a complaint against the trio, and Inspector Sethumani Madhavan was investigating the case. He had taken custody of Akila in Tiruchi on Novemeber 16, 2007, and brought her to Thanjavur and made her stay at a lodge where she hanged herself to death three days later. In a letter to her mother before ending her life, Akila had detailed the circumstances leading to her suicide and had purportedly named a few persons, including Sethumani Madhavan, whose actions had led to her death.

Based on her letter, charges were filed against Sethumani Madhavan, Head Constable Ganesan and former Government Workshop employee Balasubramanian and investigations launched resulting in the arrest of the three. Sethumani Madhavan was placed under suspension.

In 2008, the case was transferred to the CB-CID which prosecuted the accused. Meanwhile, Sethumani Madhavan was reinstated and was serving as Inspector of Madurai Teppakulam police station while Balasubramanian died some years back.

Judge Mr. Poorna Jaya Anandh saw merit in charges against Sethumani Madhavan and handed him 10 years RI. He was found guilty under Indian Penal Code Sec. 120 B (Punishment for Criminal Conspiracy), Sec. 409 (Criminal breach of trust by a public servant) and Sec. 343 (Wrongful confinement for three or more days). Ganesan was acquitted of all charges.