Woman moves SHRC against police over delay in registering sexual harassment complaint

February 05, 2023 11:58 pm | Updated February 06, 2023 11:55 am IST - CHENNAI

A woman on Sunday filed a complaint with the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) seeking action against nine police officials for the delay in registering a complaint of sexual harassment that she faced at a public hearing on January 31.

The public hearing pertained to the State government’s proposal to construct a pen-shaped memorial for the former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at Kalaivanar Arangam.

Accompanied by three persons, she went to the Triplicane police station to file a complaint on Friday and they were made to wait for more than six hours for getting a Community Service Register (CSR) copy, she said in her complaint to the SHRC.

Made to run around

She said they were made to visit Triplicane and Anna Salai All Women police stations several times.

The victim has sought action against nine police personnel, including the Assistant Commissioner of Police M.S. Bhaskar and inspector S.A. Veerachamy.

The woman said she and three others had to endure physical stress, mental trauma and abuse from the police while filing the complaint and getting a CSR copy.

When they went to the Triplicane police station, the personnel there told them that being a sexual harassment complaint, it had to be filed at the Anna Salai All Women Police station.

At the all women police station, the officials made them to wait for several hours stating that only after getting permission from the Assistant Commissioner of Police, they could issue the CSR copy to her.

Reprimanded at station

While they were waiting at the station, the police “reprimanded” them for not maintaining proper decorum in public, she said.

The complainant said they filed the police complaint at the Triplicane station at 3.30 p.m. but were given the CSR at 10.40 p.m.

A senior police official said the CSR copy had been issued on the same day and that an inquiry had been initiated into the complaint.

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