Police Delay FIR Registration in Sexual Harassment Case for Three Days

In Chennai, a dentist encountered significant obstacles when attempting to report a sexual harassment incident. She discovered her neighbor, a 57-year-old man, secretly filming her while she was bathing. Upon confronting him and seizing his phone, she approached the Ayanavaram police to file a complaint.

However, the police reportedly pressured her to drop the case, suggesting the footage could be leaked and even advising her to delete the data by submerging the phone in water. The police inspector allegedly closed the complaint prematurely, citing a supposed compromise, despite the severity of the alleged crime.

This situation changed only after the dentist escalated the matter to the deputy commissioner of police. An inquiry revealed the inspector's mishandling of the case, leading to the registration of an FIR against the neighbor and seizure of his phone for data extraction. Investigations are ongoing.