Suspended DGP moves HC faulting time frame for trial

Chennai: Suspended director general of police Rajesh Das has moved the Madras high court faulting short time limit fixed by the court to complete the sexual harassment case against him. It would compel and bind the trial court to conduct the trial within a restricted period, he said. The harassment complaint was filed by a woman IPS officer.
This has also resulted in the trial being completed and evidence being taken at a pace faster than how it would have been conducted if there were no time limit, which again is an injustice to the accused involved, the DGP said.
“It is also compelling counsel and the witnesses to travel a long distance for about 8 hours a day, to attend the hearings, which is causing hardship and strain if not leading to health issues,” he added. The petitioner is not pressing for a stay of the trial only because it is the intention of the petitioner to cooperate and proceed with the trial in a manner known to law, he said.
A substantial part of the trial is complete and for the sake of convenience of the parties as well as in the interest of justice and better adjudication, it would be appropriate that the remaining trial be conducted without any duress of time and limit, however as expeditiously as possible, he added.
Therefore, the petitioner wanted the court to direct the chief judicial magistrate, Villupuram to conduct the trial on its own merit and discretion, without being influenced or restricted by any other time limit apart from the procedure envisaged under CrPC.
The plea is likely to be taken up for hearing by the court on August 4.