An Assam Police Sub-Inspector arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a 24-year-old woman in police custody was released on bail late Sunday evening, officers said.
According to the police, the woman was taken to Sivasagar police station on December 29 following allegations of extortion by a local businessman. The accused sub-inspector was assigned as the inquiry officer in the case.
Sivasagar Superintendent of Police Subhrajyoti Bora said the woman was held in the women and children’s cell at the police station in the presence of a woman constable. “At night, she informed the woman constable that she was feeling cold, which the inquiry officer found out about. He then did something he should not have and brought a blanket and food from his own house and went inside the women and children’s cell at around 1 am to give them to her, and embraced her,” the SP said.
The next morning, when the woman was set to be released after both parties in the case arrived at a compromise, she complained about the sub-inspector’s conduct to the station’s officer-in-charge and to the Deputy Superintendent of Police.
“A case was registered against him under sections 354 and 354A of the IPC for outraging the modesty of a woman after recording statements from the woman, the woman constable and the sentry on duty who corroborated the sequence of events. He was granted bail by the judicial court late Sunday evening. We have not yet taken a decision on whether to suspend him. Further investigation is underway,” the SP said.
