MHC refuses to grant stay to the sentence imposed against Ex-DGP Rajesh Das

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) on Monday refused to grant stay to the three year sentence confirmed by the Villupuram principal district court against Ex-DGP Rajesh Das in a case of sexually harassing a women IPS officer.

Rajesh Das filed a criminal revision petition in MHC seeking to transfer the alleged sexual harrasment case against him from Villupuram district court to Kallakuruchi district court.

The revision petition was listed before Justice M Nirmal Kumar.

Senior counsel Prakash appeared for the Ex-DGP contented that without perusing the memo filed by his client that a petition is preferred in MHC seeking to transfer the case files to Kallakurichi court on jurisdiction ground, the Villupuram sessions judge confirmed the sentence imposed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Villupuram.

The sessions judge cannot make the MHC powerless, said the counsel and sought to stay the order passed by the Villupuram district court confirming the sentence.

However the judge refused to grant stay and directed the State to file an affidavit in respect with the criminal revision petition and adjourned the matter on February 27, for further submission.

On June 16, 2023, the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Villupuram convicted Rajesh Das and imposed a three-year jail sentence in a case of harassing a women IPS officer. Aggrieved by the conviction, Rajesh Das moved to Principal Judge, Villupuram. However, Rajesh Das approached the MHC to transfer the appeal from the Villupuram Principal Judge on the ground that he would not have a fair and impartial hearing of the appeal.

On January 9, the MHC dismissed Rajesh Das's plea. Subsequently, he filed Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court it was also dismissed.

Hence, the Villupuram district court passed an on Monday ( February 12) confirming the sentence imposed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Rajesh Das has been given one month time to appeal by the court.