Madras HC adjourns sexual harassment complaint case against IG

The Madras High Court on Friday adjourned the case in connection with a sexual harassment charge levelled by a woman superintendent of police against S Murugan IPS to January 28.

A Division Bench comprising of Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad heard the appeal application filed by former DVAC IG S Murugan.

When the matter was taken for hearing, Murugan’s counsel submitted that he wanted to postpone the hearing. On recording the submission, the bench agreed to hear the matter on January 28.

In August 2018, a woman SP in the DVAC complained that Murugan, who was a superior officer in the department, had sexually harassed her.

The complainant later approached the HC seeking a direction to initiate action against Murugan. A single judge of the HC directed the Crime Branch and Crime Investigation Department to proceed with the action and also recommended to constitute the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in August 2019.

However, the police officer had appealed against the single judge order. Subsequently, a division bench in October 2019 transferred the sexual harassment case to Telangana and asked the authorities to complete the probe by six months. Murugan challenged the division bench’s order before the SC. The Apex Court stayed the Madras High Court’s order and directed it back to hear the case.