Trainee IPS Officer Hospitalised After Reported Overdose Amid Sexual Harassment Probe
A trainee Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, accused of stalking and sexually harassing a female colleague at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad, was admitted to a private hospital on Monday after a suspected overdose, police said.
According to a doctor who treated him, the trainee officer was brought to the hospital unconscious by his brother and friends, who believed he had consumed a harmful substance. A stomach wash was performed, but no abnormal substance was found. His blood and urine samples have been sent for tests, and his vital parameters are stable. The doctor noted that the officer is now drowsy, and further details will emerge once he regains full consciousness and test results are available. An alcohol bottle and a sanitizer bottle were reportedly found near his bed, as per his brother's account.
The case stems from a complaint filed on July 18 by a 30-year-old woman trainee IPS officer. She alleged that the accused had sent her sexually abusive messages via an instant messaging app since June 23 and made derogatory remarks about her in front of colleagues. The complainant also stated that he falsely accused her of having a relationship with another trainee and pressured her to admit to it, using abusive language.
Further, she claimed that on July 9, he restrained her, forcibly took her to his room, pulled her hair, attempted to strangle her, and held a knife to her neck, preventing her from leaving. She also alleged he assaulted her the next day and recorded a private video of her without consent, which he sent to her husband in an attempt to blackmail her.
Based on the complaint, the Attapur police station registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including assault or criminal force against a woman, sexual harassment, stalking, and insulting the modesty of a woman, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act.
The accused trainee officer denied the allegations in a social media post, calling the complaint and rumours against him 'baseless and untrue'. He stated, 'I fully trust the legal process and believe justice will prevail.'
A police official said investigators will issue a notice asking him to appear in connection with the case. Following the registration of the case, the trainee officer had left the academy, according to sources. He previously served as a constable in Andhra Pradesh.
