Chennai, April 23 (IANS): The Madras High Court dismissed a petition filed by former Special Director General of Police, Rajesh Das, seeking exemption from surrendering in a case related to sexual advances towards a woman IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre.

The former DGP had filed a petition after a trial court, and later an appellate court found him guilty of the prosecution charges.

Madras High Court Judge Justice M. Dhandapani, on Tuesday, refused to grant exemption to the former DGP from surrendering before Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Villuppuram.

The judge said that the former DGP, who is a convict and would have to surrender, will go to jail and then seek suspension of the sentence as well as the grant of bail until the disposal of his revision petition before the High Court.

Villuppuram CJM had convicted and sentenced Rajesh Das on June 16, 2023.

He was charged with having sexually harassed a woman Superintendent of Police in February 2021, when they both were travelling together in his car on official duty.

The two police officers were providing security to then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who was campaigning for AIADMK during the elections to the Legislative Assembly.

Rajesh Das’s appeal was dismissed by the Villuppuram Principal District Court judge who confirmed the conviction as well as the sentence on February 12, 2024.

The convict, Rajesh Das, had approached the High Court with a revision petition and sought exemption from surrendering until the disposal of his revision, which was dismissed by the court.