Maharashtra: NCB superintendent booked and arrested by police in sexual harassment case

A superintendent rank officer posted with Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been booked and arrested by the railway police in Aurangabad on charges of sexual harassment and indulging in indecent gestures and act, intended to insult the modesty of a woman in train. The agency had come into a controversy recently after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik raised questions over the NCB's raid at a cruise party.

According to a senior Indian Police Service (IPS), the incident took place on Thursday night when a 25-year-old woman was travelling from Hyderabad to Hadapsar in Pune. The suspect Dinesh Chavan (35), a superintendent rank officer of the NCB was also travelling on the same route upon attending court evidence at Hyderabad. Chavan is a resident of Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai.

"In her complaint, the victim explained the incident and alleged that the suspect touched her in an immodest way, removing her undergarments from her bag and sniffing them and placing them on his chest that disturbed her. She raised her voice and other passengers woke up and caught hold of him," said the officer.

He added, presently the accused is in police custody at Parli Railway Police Station of Aurangabad Railway unit and the victim carried on with her journey to Hadapsar as she had given the complaint to the TC in the train. The police also found Chavan's Identity Card from his possession.

"We have registered an offence against Chavan under sections 354(A) (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. We have arrested the accused in the case and will produce him before the court to seek his custody," said the official.

An NCB source said that Chavan was on medical leave. "He had been taking treatment for his mental issues and he was never part of any NCB operations as such," said an NCB official.

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