Just when the #MeToo movement seems to abate for a bit, yet another incident comes up to keep it going. Close on heels of Indian wrestlers accusing the top boss of sexual harassment, Ahmedabad has been murmuring about the alleged misconduct of a top-ranking retired IPS cop and his personal assistant having outraged the modesty of a woman, who approached the police for official help.
The matter finally hit public glare after the aggrieved submitted an affidavit in the Gujarat HC, Monday.
The woman, married 15 years ago, came in contact with the personal assistant of the IPS officer after her abusive husband forced her to run away from home. She developed a close bond with the PA, belonging to the minority community, and after a number of tries at getting back to marital life with her husband, finally married the youth. The affidavit further states that she was forced in a way to marry him after he threatened to kill her and her children from the previous marriage.
Meanwhile, her brother was picked up by the police in a POSCO matter and promising to help out, the PA took her to the IPS officer’s house. Her statement mentions that the officer used his PA (her husband) as a personal muscleman to wrest out money from “huge land deals” facilitated by the authority of his office.
She has also pressed charges of sexual favors that the IPS officer sought in lieu of having her brother’s “matter resolved.” However, despite using her repeatedly, her brother remained in jail. Speaking on behalf of his client, the woman’s counsel charged the PA and his officer of using the woman on false promises of dissolving the matter.
The matter filed at Gandhinagar PS was replied to by the IPS officer by way of a retaliatory complaint against the woman and her family at the Satellite PS.
As of now, the government and bureaucracy await, with bated breath, the dirty linen being washed in public. “We do not know how many big names will tumble out,” stated a top official.
