Case handed over to CID: Karnataka Minister on cop accused of sexual harassment
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday said that the investigation into the alleged assault by a police inspector on women in Moodbidri, in Mangaluru district, has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, he said he had directed the State Director General of Police to transfer the case to the CID for a detailed probe, considering the seriousness of the allegations.
The minister said that the Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission, Nagalakshmi Chowdhary, along with the victim, had shared several details regarding the incident. Based on these inputs, the decision was taken to entrust the case to the CID for further investigation.
He noted that immediate action had already been taken by suspending the accused police inspector soon after the allegations surfaced. The department has also been asked to submit a report on the incident.
Parameshwara said a comprehensive investigation was necessary to ascertain the full extent of the case. “The truth will come out after the CID probe. It will also reveal if there are more victims involved,” he added.
Responding to a query on remarks against the Congress-led government made by Pranavananda Swamiji, the minister said the All India Congress Committee (AICC) follows its own mandate while making decisions. He added that statements made by religious leaders reflect public sentiment, but decisions are taken based on internal assessments and reports.
It may be noted that Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy suspended Moodbidri Police Inspector Sandesh last week, pending a departmental inquiry, on charges of misbehaving with women.
The suspension order was issued on March 17 following a preliminary inquiry by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), North Sub Division, Mangaluru, into complaints filed by a few women with the Karnataka State Commission for Women, alleging that the inspector had harassed them.
At a recent press conference, two women alleged that the inspector sought sexual favours from women visiting the police station for official work. Alternatively, they claimed, he demanded bribes.
In the suspension order, Commissioner Reddy stated that the preliminary inquiry did not substantiate the allegation of demanding sexual favours. However, it corroborated allegations of misbehaviour, based on verification of videos in which the inspector was seen speaking inappropriately to a woman. He was suspended on these grounds.
The suspended inspector, Sandesh, has also been accused of claiming that he had paid Rs 40 lakh to Home Minister G. Parameshwara to secure his posting and that no one could take action against him, while allegedly threatening a complainant.
Meanwhile, Venoor police in Mangaluru have also registered a rape case against Moodbidri Police Inspector P.G. Sandesh, who is currently under suspension, following a complaint filed by a college principal in Belthangady taluk. She has accused him of sexually assaulting her between 2020 and 2023.
