HC summons Police Inspector to appear in Court on August 18

Chennai, Aug 11 (UNI) Madras High Court today summoned a Police Inspector in Mettur in Salem District of Tamil Nadu to appear before the Court on August 18, in connection with alleged harassment of a woman lawyer.

Mr Justice S Nagamuthu, directed the police officer to appear before the Court, along with a counter affidavit, on a petition filed by a woman lawyer A R Kavitha, who alleged that the Inspector of police was harassing her for the past two years.

Ms Kavitha submitted, that she was a criminal lawyer and had approached the Court in the year 2005 itself, seeking action against the Police officer Suresh Kumar, who was then Sub-Inspector of Police.

Narrating her plights at the hands of the police officer, she said the Inspector of Police, who was aggrieved by her appearance for some of the accused, arrested by him, had even threatened to shoot her down.

In an incident on July 11, 2005, Mr Suresh Kumar, when he was Sub-Inspector of Police, placed his pistol on her temple and threatened to shoot her down, she alleged.

The petitioner further stated that the police officer had also threatened her that he would kill her in a fake encounter. On an order of the High Court, she had been provided with police protection for the last two years, she said.

Stating that the Government need not waste money on her security for the two years, she demanded action against the police officer.

After promotion as Inspector of Police, Suresh Kumar has been posted in Mettur itself. ''He is indulging in his old habits of thrashing people in public and creating a reign of terror in the area.

The Inspector carries his gun inside the court premises and makes intimidatory gestures to the witnesses and creates terror in their minds, she said.

Stating that the Government has not filed counter to her petition for the last three years, Ms Kavitha sought a direction to the State Chief Secretary to cause registration of an FIR against the Inspector for his criminal intimidation. She also sought a direction to the Government to dismiss the Inspector from service.

The Judge also ordered notice to the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary and directed them to file counter by August 18.

UNI XR/WS MIR RAI2110