Telangana High Court issues notices to police brass in appeal by SI dismissed over sexual crimes charge

The Telangana High Court issued notices to the police higher-ups in an appeal filed by a Sub-Inspector (SI) challenging a single judge order declining to interfere over his dismissal from service on charges of committing sexual offences against women. One of the victims was his sub-ordinates while he was serving as SI of Kaleshwaram police station in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. 

A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, which heard the appeal filed by dismissed SI Padala Venkata Sadananda Bhavani Sen, posted the matter after eight weeks for hearing. Bhavani Sen, in his writ petition before the single judge bench, contended that Inspector General of Police of Zone-I on June 20 of 2024 passed orders dismissing him from service while he was serving as Kaleshwaram police station SI. 

The SI was accused of sexually assaulting a woman head constable and some other women who could not come before the higher-ups to complain about the sexual harassment he had subjected them to misusing his official position. The SI maintained that he was not given an opportunity to explain his stand. There was no charge memo and no inquiry was conducted into the allegations as per the rules, he said. 

The single judge, however, dismissed his writ petition agreeing with the contentions of the higher authorities that it was not practically possible to conduct enquiry in such case and the gullible victims would not come forward to report such crimes when the accused himself was discharging the official duties as SI of police. 

Challenging this order, the dismissed SI filed the appeal petition.