A top Jharkhand police official on the run since a TV expose on his sexual escapades with a tribal woman last year surrendered Monday in a Ranchi court.
PS Natarajan, who was suspended as inspector general (IG) of police last year, has been absconding since August 2005 when a news channel showed footage of him in a compromising position with a tribal lady, Sushma Baidaik.
He was suspended with immediate effect and went underground.
He surfaced Monday after 14 months and surrendered in a special Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC & ST) court of AK Chaudhary.
"Natarajan was ill and this is the reason that he was not surrendering in the court," said Anil Kumar Kanth, his lawyer. Natarajan has applied for bail on medical grounds.
Sushma Baidaik, in a statement to the court, had said that she was sexually exploited by Natarajan. She had earlier charged Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police Parvez Hayat of sexually exploiting her when he was DIG of Palamu range on the assurance of getting her a police job. When the issue was brought to the notice of the state government, the inquiry was handed over to Natarajan who was zonal IG of Ranchi range.
Natarajan allegedly sexually exploited the woman with the promise he would help bring out the truth in the investigation. Fed up with being sexually exploited, Sushma approached a news channel and shot the scenes of her intimacy with Natarajan.
{{/usCountry}}Natarajan allegedly sexually exploited the woman with the promise he would help bring out the truth in the investigation. Fed up with being sexually exploited, Sushma approached a news channel and shot the scenes of her intimacy with Natarajan.
{{/usCountry}}A First Information Report was lodged against Natarajan under different sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rape. A police complaint was also lodged under the SC & ST Atrocities Act.
He was directed by the court to surrender. When he failed to do so, the court ordered that his property be attached.
Police initiated the process to dismiss Natarajan for his immoral acts. But they have failed to act on DIG Parvez Hayat whose name also figures in the case. Hayat is still on central deputation and no action has been taken against him.