NAGPUR: Senior inspector Ashok Meshram of Yashodhara Nagar police station was suspended and booked for allegedly outraging the modesty of a 24-year-old home guard deployed under his command.
Meshram was earlier this year also booked for abetment to commit suicide.
Both offences were registered against Meshram at the police station where he was posted.
Meshram, who had made undue advances towards the home guard in his chamber, is learnt to have made similar attempt on at least one more colleague of the victim in the last few days.
Promising to help the home guard clear MPSC examination, Meshram had been messaging her frequently and would summon her to his chamber on some or the other pretext, before misbehaving on June 23, leading to the complaint.
Meshram is also learnt to be harassing yet another home guard colleague of the victim with sexually coloured remarks.
He had also asked her to accompany him on a dinner date, offering her a gift worth around Rs10,000 and also other enticements.
The victim, along with the colleague and others, visited the office of Zonal DCP Neelotpal on Thursday and narrated their plight.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar shifted Meshram to control room immediately after the allegations surfaced on Thursday.
“A review meeting of DCPs has been called.
The DCPs would now meet and hear grievances of women cops at police stations.
Our Vishakha committee for sexual harassment at workplace under Zonal DCP Vinita S would conduct a review meeting of all representatives from the police stations on Saturday,” said the CP, adding a sensitization process and complaint redressal mechanism would be strengthened.
During a meeting of officers on Wednesday, Kumar had categorically cautioned Meshram to improve his conduct, as he was already under scanner for being booked under abetment to suicide charges, and also for the suspension of four personnel from his police station over extortion of Rs1 lakh from a ration shop owner.
Sources said, undaunted by CP’s warning in the meeting, Meshram had later in the evening misbehaved with the home guard in his chamber before giving her Rs1,000.
Meshram, as per the FIR lodged by the victim, had summoned her to his chamber and asked her to help clip the shoulder band of his uniform.
He made undue advances when she tried to follow his instructions.
The home guard had rushed out howling and narrated her plight to a cousin, who is also deployed at the same police station.
The statement of the home guard was recorded by Zonal DCP Vinita S, who is chairperson of the sexual harassment at the workplace committee.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)