Kerala man harasses female cop by making 300 calls to police station, jailed
A man in Kerala has been sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment for harassing a woman police officer by making over 300 phone calls to a police station in Kochi.
A Kerala Court has sentenced a man to a three-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 for harassing a woman police officer in Kochi. The accused had made more than 300 phone calls to the official number of Vanitha police station to harass a woman Civil Police Officer, LiveLaw reported.
According to the prosecution, the accused had continuously contacted the woman police officer with the intention of outraging her modesty and requesting sexual favors.
The report further stated that Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ernakulam, Sajini BS, convicted the accused for the offences under Sections 354A(1)(i)(i) (Punishment for Sexual harassment), 354D(1)(ii) (Punishment for Stalking) IPC, and 120(o) of Kerala Police Act (Penalty for causing nuisance and violation of public order).
The court acknowledged that the prosecution successfully proved the offence under Section 354A but couldn't establish the offence of stalking under Section 354D IPC. Justice Sajini BS clarified that continuously calling on the official phone of a police station cannot be equated with following a specific individual for personal interaction.
However, the court found the offence under Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act well-established in the case.
It observed that the accused's actions caused discomfort, mental pain, and dislike to the police officer and other staff members of the police station. Furthermore, it adversely affected their public duty to attend emergency phone calls containing information and grievances from the general public.
"The act of the accused has not only caused discomfort, mental pain and dislike to the prosecutrix and other staff members of the police station but also adversely affected their public duty to attend the phone calls which might be an emergency and may contain information and grievance from general public which require emergent action," LiveLaw quoted Kerala court as saying.
Following the court's order, the accused was convicted of offenses under Section 354A(1)(ii) of the Indian Penal Code and 120(o) of Kerala Police Act.
