The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women has recommended a departmental inquiry against then-Tambaram Inspector Charles and Sub-Inspector Durga for illegally arresting a woman, allegedly in a foisted case under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act.
According to the Commission, the woman, a resident of Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu, is a divorcee who earns a living by selling candles.
In 2023, she approached the Tambaram police to lodge a complaint against a few auto-rickshaw drivers who allegedly abused her in an obscene manner.
To her surprise, Sub-Inspector Durga allegedly refused to lodge the complaint and also took a photo of her. When the woman objected to this, a heated argument ensued. The woman was then arrested under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act (ITPA), 1956, and was in remand for about five months. She was later released on bail.
After hearing the case, the Commission found that police had not followed the Supreme Court guidelines while arresting her, and that Section 8(b) of ITPA was illegally invoked against the woman, as sex workers are considered victims, not offenders, it stated.
The Commission also said the explanations given by the police officers concerned were not satisfactory.
It also recommended the Police department to explore the possibility of compensating the woman.
Published – September 13, 2024 01:41 pm IST
