Police Officials Who Handled Pollachi Sexual Harassment Case Transferred

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government Monday transferred police officials who had handled the Pollachi sexual harassment case, including a Superintendent who revealed the identity of the woman victim.

The case relates to a four-member gang allegedly trying to strip a woman inside a car near Pollachi, over 500km from here, recording the act and blackmailing her using the visuals. The victim, who managed to free herself, later lodged a complaint with the police.

A total of eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case. The government had last month transferred the investigation of the case to the CBI from the state’s CB-CID, which had earlier taken up the probe from the local police.

According to a Home Department order, Coimbatore SP R Pandiarajan and DSP, Pollachi sub-division, R Jayaram, have been transferred with “immediate effect”. Further, A Natesan, Inspector, Pollachi East police station, has also been transferred, it said. The order allocated no postings to them, virtually putting them in the waiting list.

Sujit Kumar IPS, Deputy Commissioner, Traffic, Coimbatore City, has been posted in place of Pandiarajan while KG Sivakumar, DSP, District Crime Records Bureau, Ooty will replace Jayaram. Earlier, there was a public outrage after Pandiarajan revealed the name of the victim during a press meet, with civil society groups demanding action against him.

The case assumed political overtones since a local functionary of ruling AIADMK allegedly attacked the victim’s brother.