An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Bihar was suspended after an FIR was registered against him on charges of sexually assaulting a Scheduled Caste woman sub-inspector.
Confirming the ASI’s suspension, Superintendent of Police, Jehanabad district, Vineet Kumar on Friday said, “In view of the gravity of the charges, the accused officer has been suspended and directed to report to police headquarters. A request has also been made to the Inspector General of the Magadh Range to assign a different headquarters for the duration of the suspension.”
Kumar also said that “three separate inquiries are underway, a criminal investigation based on the FIR, an internal complaint committee inquiry under POSH (The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013) and departmental proceedings”.
Based on a complaint lodged by the woman sub-inspector, an FIR was registered at Mahila (Woman) Police Station Tuesday under sections 74, 75, 79 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for offences of assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, sexual harassment, word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman and criminal intimidation. Sections 3(1)(w) and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 have also been invoked.
According to a police source, the incident took place on April 7. She alleged that the accused touched her inappropriately and molested her, the source said.
According to her complaint, the sub inspector alleged that when she confronted the ASI, he threatened her, saying, “If you report this to senior officers, I will riddle you with bullets.” The complainant also alleged that the accused hurled casteist slurs, sources said.
According to the complaint, the sub inspector said that being a woman police officer from the Scheduled Caste, she initially “refrained from coming forward due to fear and only filed the complaint after mustering the courage to do so”.
