The Supreme Court has set aside the anticipatory bail granted to a suspended Tamil Nadu police officer accused of sexually harassing a law college student aboard a moving train.
A bench of justices Pankaj Mithal and SVN Bhatti took strong exception to the reasoning adopted by the high court while granting pre-arrest bail to head constable Sheik Abdulla Mohammed.
The top court quashed the January 7 order of the Madras High Court and remitted the matter back for fresh consideration of the police officer’s anticipatory bail plea on merits and in accordance with law.
The accused was booked under Sections 62, 75 and 304(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002.
The incident occurred in late December when the 23-year-old law student was travelling alone on the train and was allegedly harassed by the policeman while the train was nearing Katpadi.
