Madras HC rejects suspended special DGP’s plea, questioning jurisdiction of trial court

In his petition, Rajesh Das had claimed that the alleged offence was committed during travel from one district to another, and therefore the case could not be heard by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Villupuram

The Madras High Court on Wednesday dismissed a criminal revision petition filed by suspended special Director General of Police (DGP) Rajesh Das, questioning the territorial jurisdiction of a Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Villupuram to conduct trial in a sexual harassment complaint lodged against him by a woman Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in February this year.

Justice P. Velmurugan refused to entertain the revision preferred against the dismissal of a similar petition by the CJM. He also directed the CJM to complete the trial within three months. In his petition, the accused had claimed that the alleged offence was committed during travel from one district to another, and therefore the case could not be heard by the CJM.

According to him, the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) ought to have filed the chargesheet either before a judicial magistrate at Ulundurpet in Kallakurichi district or before a Magistrate in Chengalpattu district. The CJM had rejected that argument on the grounds that he was empowered to conduct a trial in all cases investigated by the CB-CID’s Villupuram unit.