Crime Branch chargesheets Nadar

By M. Harish Govind

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 28. The Crime Branch has found sufficient grounds to prosecute the former Minister, Dr. Neelalohithadasan Nadar, for allegedly outraging the modesty of the senior IAS official, Ms. Nalini Netto, in his chamber in the Legislative Assembly complex here on December 21, 1999.

The Crime Branch team, headed by the ADGP, Mr. R.S. Mooshahary, filed the chargesheet to this effect in the court of the Judicial First Class Magistrate III, here today. According to the chargesheet, which runs into 300-odd pages, Dr. Nadar can be proceeded against under Section 354 of the IPC. The Section carries a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment with or without fine.

According to the chargesheet, the alleged crime was committed when Dr. Nadar and Ms. Netto were alone in his Ministerial chamber at 1.40 p.m. Mr. Nadar had decided to seize the opportunity to demonstrate his desire for Ms. Netto and had quickly signed the files brought by her without any discussion.

When Ms. Netto broached the subject of certain remarks made by members of Dr. Nadar's staff, he had brushed these aside, telling her not to bother about it, the chargesheet said.

He had then suddenly seized both her hands and lifted them to his face. Ms. Netto had pulled her hands away and told him that she was not the kind of person who would yield to his desire.

Ms. Netto then tried to leave the room, but Dr. Nadar had charged towards her in a passion, the chargesheet said. He had grappled with her and forcibly tried to kiss her and to wrestle her down. Ms. Netto had sustained injuries on her lips and the right index finger while trying to escape from Dr. Nadar's clutches, according to the Crime Branch.

Ms. Netto had submitted her complaint against Dr. Nadar to the Chief Minister in February and a case was registered in the Museum Police Station here on February 20. The case was transferred to the Crime Branch on February 22 and the investigation was entrusted with the DIG, Mr. T.P. Senkumar.

Dr. Nadar filed a petition in the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the matter. On the basis of the court's directive, the ADGP himself took over the investigation on March 15 and a team, which included the DIG, Mr. Arun Sinha, and the Detective Inspector, Mr. M. Madhu, was put in place.

The Crime Branch team questioned 40-odd witnesses, including the Chief Secretary and examined several documents and files in the course of its investigation. Dr. Nadar, who was grilled by Mr. Mooshahary for up to six hours on June 30, had denied the charges made by Ms. Netto.

The former Minister told the team that Ms. Netto was targeting him for his having sought her removal as Transport Secretary for corrupt activities.

The team examined certain files relating to Ms. Netto awarding a contract for a traffic and transportation study for the State capital. However, it could not find any connection between allegedly corrupt actions by Ms. Netto and her complaint of sexual harassment against Dr. Nadar.

The Crime Branch had sought legal opinion from the Advocate General before filing the chargesheet. In February itself, the Government had appointed a sitting High Court judge, Mr. Justice G. Sasidharan, to inquire into the matter and the Commission's inquiry is progressing.

The Judicial Commission's terms of reference cover the circumstances leading to the filing of Ms. Netto's complaint, the correctness or otherwise of the allegations and the rebuttal given by Dr. Nadar, and the other matters connected and incidental to the complaint.

The Crime Branch investigation had been temporarily stalled after the Commission took custody of the case diary in July. However, Mr. Mooshahary made a request for the return of the case diary and got it back in September.

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Section  : Southern States
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