Top

Vijayawada corporator faces case for harassing woman

The police registered a case under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman to outrage modesty).

Hyderabad: A New Delhi-based lady professor who was travelling in an Air India flight to Hyderabad from New Delhi, filed a complaint with the RGIA police that a passenger sitting next to her repeatedly harassed her by touching her feet with his legs despite being warned.

In her complaint, she told the police that this harassment went on for about 20 minutes after the flight took off from New Delhi. She was seated in the middle seat. The accused, Venkateshwar Rao, who turned out to be a TD corporator from Vijayawada, was seated next to her on the aisle side. He had won as an Independent candidate and later joined TD.

The police registered a case under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman to outrage modesty). RGIA inspector T. Sudhakar refused to give details about the woman and said she came to the city to deliver a guest lecture at the Priyadarshini College and flew back to New Delhi.

“She and Air India officials told us that she had complained on the flight itself and though the crew initially did not take action, they requested Rao to take another seat later. In her complaint, she said Rao touched her legs with his feet 15 to 20 times. We have sent teams to VIjayawada to serve a notice on Mr Rao and question him,” inspector Sudhakar said and added the woman is aged between 35 and 40 years and she suspected that Rao could have been drunk.

Police said the AI flight was bound for Vijayawada via Hyderabad from New Delhi. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when the flight started from New Delhi and the complaint was filed in the evening. The woman waited for two hours at the airport and made sure the complaint was registered.

Rao flew back to Vijayawada in the same flight before the police could question him. The police informed their counterparts at Gannavaram airport where Mr Rao was questioned, his identity and phone number taken and was allowed to go home.

Interestingly, 30 Vijayawada corporators were on the same flight when the incident occurred. “We were returning from a study tour. Police can ask any of our colleagues about my behaviour. The woman had fought with three other persons on the aircraft. She was not comfortable with the man sitting beside her on the window side. May be when I fell asleep, by mistake my legs could have touched her legs. I accepted the flight crew request and shifted to another seat after she complained to them. I am not a person who harasses women. I am ready to apologise though I did not do anything intentionally. I was not drunk and am ready for a blood test,” he said and added she could be his mother’s age.

However, the police said the woman is aged between 35 and 40. Based on the complaint, Vijayawada police officer Bhimudu questioned the TD corporator for 20 minutes. The corporator was then allowed to leave the airport.

Corporators in Pune case ready to quit if convicted
The TD corporators, accused of sexual harassment at the Pune railway station organised a press conference in Vijayawada denying all the charges against them and said they were ready to quit if the complaints against them were proved in court.

They claimed there was a conspiracy against them and the Telugu Desam added that their tour of North India was entirely a study trip. On May 4, Wednesday, railway police officials in Pune warned one of the travelling corporators after he was accused of harassing a woman at the Pune Railway station.

The, accused, G. Haribabu, is the Telugu Desam floor leader in the council.
Meanwhile, Ummadi Venkateswara Rao alias Chantibabu, who is accused of harassing a woman passenger on an Air India flight rubbished all allegations against him.

He claimed that his foot must have touched the woman’s feet while he was taking a nap. He also said there was a communication problem with the woman as he knew only Telugu and the woman did not know it.

Meanwhile, women’s organisations and other groups staged a protest in Vijayawada demanding the corporators take moral responsibility and resign from their posts.

Other groups too have launched agitations and said the corporators brought embarrassment to the city of Vijayawada. The group of corporators were on a sponsored “study” tour of North Indian cities.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
Next Story