A wave of shock has gripped the Hyderabad police fraternity after a trainee IPS officer who was accused of sexual harassment by a female colleague allegedly attempted suicide on Monday (July 20) morning.
The incident occurred at his brother's residence in Mothinagar, Erragadda, where family members discovered him and rushed him to a private hospital.
The victim is currently undergoing emergency medical treatment.
Alleged sexual harassment case
The suicide attempt comes after his batchmate, a female trainee IPS officer, filed a complaint with the Attapur police alleging that he was sexually harassing her. Based on that complaint, the police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as the IT Act, and began an investigation.
The trainee officer was reportedly upset with the alleged sexual harassment complaints made against him. A case was also registered at the Attapur police station, and the National Police Academy's (NPA) Privilege Committee too confirmed that a
fter examining the CCTV footage and other evidence, they found prima facie that the allegations made by the female officer could be "valid".Moreover, the NPA senior officials temporarily suspended him and it appeared that strict action would be taken against him based on the allegations.
According to sources, for that reason, he allegedly mixed poison in a sanitiser and drank it.
What complaint said
In the complaint, it was alleged that the trainee IPS officer was sending obscene messages to the complainant and forcibly took her to his room. The complaint further said that he took personal videos of her and started blackmailing her.
Initial information revealed that he suffered severe mental distress after the case was registered.
The police have registered another case and are investigating the incident. They also issued a notice to the suicide victim to explain the matter within eight days.
However, the trainee IPS officer reportedly denied the allegations against him and has stated on social media that he has done nothing wrong.
From constable to IPS officer
The trainee IPS officer's journey has been an inspiration to many. He hails from Woollapalem, Singarayakonda mandal, Prakasam district, and after studying amid a lot of financial difficulties in his family, he got a job as a constable in 2013.
Later, he resigned from his job and prepared for the Civil Services. After four attempts, he was selected for the IPS with a rank of 360.
Now, just as he was all set to take charge as a full-fledged police officer, a case of sexual harassment has been registered against him. His subsequent suicide attempt has now become a topic of discussion in police circles.
Investigations into both these incidents are ongoing.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana.)
(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
