Hyderabad, July 19 (IANS) A woman trainee IPS officer at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad has alleged sexual harassment by her batchmate.
Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Uday Krishna Reddy and launched an investigation.
The complainant accused him of repeatedly sexually harassing, physically assaulting and blackmailing her for nearly three weeks.
A 30-year-old woman trainee officer, in her complaint lodged on the night of July 18, alleged that Uday Krishna Reddy harassed her between June 23 and July 10 while they were undergoing training at the academy.
She accused Uday Krishna Reddy of sending her abusive messages and subjecting her to criminal intimidation. He also allegedly recorded her private video and sent it to her husband.
A criminal case has been registered at Attapur Police Station of Hyderabad City Police.
According to the complainant, the accused started harassing her on June 23 by sending sexually abusive messages through WhatsApp.
She stated in her complaint that the accused made derogatory remarks about her before fellow trainees and falsely accused her of having a sexual relationship with another trainee.
The complainant also stated that Uday Krishna Reddy intimidated and blackmailed her into revealing her personal messages. She alleged that he took her mobile phone to his room and forced her to disclose its password.
The accused trainee officer allegedly recorded her private video without her knowledge and later sent it to her husband with the intention of blackmailing her.
She stated that on July 9, he allegedly wrongfully restrained her, took her to his room, grabbed her by the hair, attempted to strangulate her and held a knife against her neck to prevent her from leaving the room. He allegedly physically assaulted her again the next day.
According to the complainant, the accused groped her and attempted to touch her private parts on July 8.
Telangana Rakshana Sena, headed by K. Kavitha, called the incident shameful and said it reflected institutional failure.
In a social media post, the party said that a female trainee IPS officer at the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, had lodged a formal complaint against a fellow trainee officer for continuous sexual harassment and vulgar behaviour. It stated that the irony and failure of the situation could not be ignored, as such predatory misconduct was occurring within the premier academy expected to train those entrusted with protecting society and upholding the law.
The party added that if future law enforcement officers were not safe within their own training walls, it undermined the very foundation of public trust.
“Our party strongly condemns this heinous behaviour. The law must take its strictest course without any institutional shielding. True justice must be served immediately to set a stern precedent,” it said.
–IANS
ms/dan