For the first time in the history of Tamil Nadu police, which has been compared to the Scotland Yard, the Vishaka committee has been formed to probe the complaints of sexual harassment, filed by women police officers.
The committee, comprising ADGP Seema Agarwal, ADGP S. Arunachalam, DIG P.C. Thenmozhi, retired additional SP Saraswathi and senior administrative officer Ramesh from the office of DGP as members, will first enquire into the complaint filed by a woman SP against her senior officer.
The non-IPS woman SP, who had worked in the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) before going on medical leave, accused her senior, S. Murugan, of sexual harassment in her complaint. She had also approached Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and DGP T.K. Rajendran with the same. She had reportedly met the state DGP with her complaint seeking action against IG S. Murugan, who is the joint director of DVAC.
According to sources, the woman officer has been facing constant sexual harassment from Murugan from some time.
In the compliant, the SP had alleged that the IG had tried to sexually assault her when she entered his chamber on August 1. She went into the office after he called her for a meeting to discuss an important file. He then went on to lock the door and tried to molest her, but she started shouting and managed to get away. She took medical leave soon after the incident.
Murugan, sources in the police department say, is the blue eyed boy of the high and mighty.
The Vishaka committee was constituted in the wake of this complaint. The committee will look into complaints from all units of the state police. The new committee will be empowered to summon IG level officers as well, as it is headed by a IG level officer.
Though the police department already has a Vishakha committee in place, it has not been functional, say sources.