Karnataka: Senior IPS officer Ravindranath resigns alleging harassment

Bengaluru: A senior Indian Police Service officer has resigned from service accusing 'a few individuals' of harassing him indirectly. Dr P Ravindranath, who is serving as Additional Director General of Police in the Forest Cell, tendered his resignation to Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar through Director General of Police Praveen Sood on Wednesday. The officer was booked on charges of molestation six years ago, which he said was quashed by the High Court.

Confirming that he had resigned, Ravindranath said: "Yesterday some promotions happened. I should have been promoted as a number-two. Number-one is Amar Kumar Pandey.

I must have been promoted. Instead of me, Suneel Kumar has been promoted," Ravindranath told PTI.

In his resignation letter, Ravindranath stated that he had served the people of Karnataka with utmost devotion but in the last four years he faced "problems created by a few individuals." "But a few individuals prevented justice for me. Therefore, having undergone agony of the indirect harassment, I submit my resignation herewith to lead a peaceful life," Ravindranath said.

He asked the Chief Secretary to accept his resignation. The 1989 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh had landed in a controversy six years ago when he was accused of allegedly clicking pictures of a woman at a cafe in Bengaluru. The woman in her complaint to the police had stated that when she and her cousin were at the cafe they saw a man staring at them and clicking pictures.

The next day after the incident, a case of molestation was registered against him under section 354 of the IPC, according to Ravindranath. He added that a charge sheet in that connection was filed in the court, which was quashed by the High Court. Further, the CAT not only quashed the Departmental Inquiry initiated against him but also recommended that the matter should be probed by the National Commission for Scheduled Caste four years ago. However, the government obtained a stay against the order, Ravindranath said. According to him, the Supreme Court in its order on October 15 stated that any stay granted by any court lapses automatically after six months. "The stay on the CAT order against which the government had gone to high court automatically lapsed," he said.

Attempts to reach the DGP for his comments proved futile.