Senior IPS Officer to led investigations, informs Nagaland Police HQ. (File Photo)
Says police team looking into all aspects of allegations
Kohima, April 12 (MExN): The Nagaland Police has formally registered an FIR and constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the allegations of “sexual and mental harassment” against Reny Wilfred, the Joint Secretary of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN).
The team will be led by a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, and four police officers have been co-opted as team members to investigate the case, informed the Nagaland Police in its first official statement on the issue.
As required by law, a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) has also been given to the Court, the Chief Secretary of the State, as well as the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW), it said.
The investigation is ongoing, and the police team is looking into all aspects of the allegations, added the statement posted on the official account of Nagaland Police on X (formerly Twitter) .
Background
As per the statement, a written complaint addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland was received from NSCW Chairperson W Nginyeih Konyak on March 17, stating that a verbal intimation was received from the Chairman of IDAN, Abu Metha, on February 27 “with regard to certain allegations of sexual and mental harassment” towards some of the female employees of the IDAN Office by the Joint Secretary.
Accordingly, the NSCW took cognisance of the complaint under Sections (U/S) 5 and 6 of the Nagaland Women Commission Act, 2006, and recorded the statements of the victims on March 5, it said.
Further, an official forwarding letter with the enclosure of a complaint letter of sexual harassment by IDAN employees, addressed to the Authority Chairman, was submitted to the NSCW by the Chairman on March 3, it added. The letter and annexures to the letter from NSCW were received subsequently.
As per the statement, immediately upon receipt of the letter and annexures (statements of the staff at IDAN), and as per the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the Nagaland Police Headquarters (PHQ) instituted a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) on March 25.
The PE report, by a lady officer of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police, was submitted on April 1.
The report of the Enquiry Officer prima facie revealed the commission of a cognisable offence of sexual harassment under Sections 75 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), warranting an in-depth criminal investigation, and recommended further investigation to uncover the full extent and truthfulness of the allegations, the police said.
Since the PE substantiated the allegations made by the IDAN employees and a cognisable case was made out, an FIR was formally registered on April 2 under Sections 74/75(2)/79 of the BNS, it added.
Thereafter, the SIT was constituted on April 5.
The Section 74 of BNS deals with “Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty” while Section 75 covers ‘sexual harassment’ with Clause 2 providing penalty for ‘unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures or a demand or request for sexual favours; or showing pornography against the will of a woman.’ The Section 79 covers ‘insult’ to the ‘modesty of any woman.’
Meanwhile, the statement further highlighted that the senior bureaucrat had earlier been charged in SCPS Case No. 04/2021, registered under Sections 10 and 12 of the POCSO Act, and Sections 354A and 354B of the IPC, for the “alleged molestation of two underage girls who were engaged as maid servants during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner, Noklak, at his official residence.”
After a thorough and detailed investigation, a charge sheet in the matter was filed on December 2, 2021, in the Court of the Special Judge (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act), Tuensang, it said.
After going through the charge sheet, the Court took cognisance of the charges and commenced the trial, and so far, 34 out of 50 prosecution witnesses have deposed in the instant case, it added.
It must be noted here that Wilfred ‘categorically’ denied allegations of sexual harassment and molestation on April 9, amid reports of a new FIR being filed against him by the Nagaland Police.
He instead counter-alleged political conspiracy and other tactics aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
