IPS officer to probe charge of Telangana MLA’s misbehaviour with woman collector

District Collector Preeti Meena complained to her seniors that the MLA had deliberately touched her arm while participating in a programme at Mahbubabad town.

The Telangana government on Friday constituted a committee, which will be headed by a senior woman Indian Police Service officer, to investigate allegations that a ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi lawmaker Banoth Shankar Naik misbehaved with Mahbubabad district collector Preeti Meena during an official programme on Wednesday.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (PTI FIle Photo)

Sources said inspector general of police Charu Sinha is likely to probe the case.

The decision came after the Telangana State IAS Officers’ Association gave a representation to chief secretary SP Singh in the morning seeking action against Mahbubabad MLA Banoth Shankar Naik.

The IAS officers’ association appealed to the chief secretary to entrust the investigation to a woman IPS officer of the rank of IGP as the issue involved a woman.

“We also requested the state government to create an institutional mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents and also address any grievances formally,” association president BP Acharya said.

The association also resolved to provide all necessary support including legal assistance to her.

The association held a three-hour emergency general body meeting on Thursday evening to discuss the instances of the high-handed behaviour of the public representatives with bureaucrats with particular reference to the Mahbubabad incident.

Following the intervention of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who threatened to suspend him from the party, the MLA later went to the camp office of the collector and tendered an unconditional apology.

However, Meena had already lodged a complaint with the police, who booked a case against Naik and arrested him on Thursday. He was later released on bail.