The Madras High Court delivered a decisive blow to former Special Director General of Police (DGP) Rajesh Das on Tuesday, dismissing his petition seeking exemption from surrendering despite being found guilty by both a trial court and an appellate court of making sexual advances towards a woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. Justice Rajendran, presiding over the case, expressed incredulity at Das’s audacity in seeking exemption despite the damning verdicts against him.
The inquiry into Das’s misconduct stemmed from allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him by a female IPS officer. On June 16, 2023, the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Villupuram delivered a verdict, convicting Das and sentencing him to three years of rigorous imprisonment for his reprehensible actions. Despite his attempts to challenge the conviction, Das faced further setbacks when the Principal Judge at Villupuram and subsequently the Madras High Court upheld the trial court’s decision.
In a desperate bid to evade justice, Das sought recourse in the Supreme Court by filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP), only to face another resounding defeat as his petition was summarily dismissed. With all legal avenues exhausted, the Villupuram district court issued an order on February 12, reaffirming the sentence imposed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate.