Accused of sexually harassing and attempting to rape a woman, Andhra Police suspended Vayalpad Circle Inspector Siddha Tejamurthy on Wednesday. The accused is currently absconding.
According to media reports, Murthy has been sexually harassing Sameera* for the last one year when she had approached the Vayalapad police station to file a complaint against her estranged husband, in February 2017. Murthy then took her contact number and had been sending her inappropriate messages through WhatsApp and later started asking for sexual favours.
On Monday, he even attempted to rape her. The victim said that the accused had called her on the pretext of meeting the Deputy Superintendent of Police at Madannapet, but he took her to his residence and tried to force himself on her. However, she managed to escape from his clutches. Despite this, he again harassed her to meet him at Tirumala, where he is presently on a bandobast duty.
Unable to bear his harassment anymore, the victim approached women rights activists and the media, who suggested a covert operation to catch him red-handed at Tirumala. However, learning about her plan, the Inspector avoided meeting her.
The victim shared the messages and voice clips of Murthy with the media, where he is heard persuading the woman to meet him at a private location and have a video call with him.
Following a formal complaint from the woman, the DIG issued suspension orders to the accused.
Speaking to the media, the victim said, ‘When I went to file a complaint against my husband, he told me that it was a civil case; but he soon started talking inappropriately, asking me why I would abandon my husband when I have ‘a good body structure and look young’.”
She added, “He then started making video calls in the night. After I stopped taking his calls, he once came home and threatened me, asking why I did not answer his calls or replied to his messages. When I told him that I will complain to the DSP about his misbehaviour, he said that they both hail from the same place and she would not get justice anywhere.”
*Name changed