Former TN DGP Rajesh Das arrested on estranged wife's complaint

Former Tamil Nadu special DGP Rajesh Das was arrested on Friday (May 24) for trespass and criminal intimidation based on a complaint by his estranged wife, Beela Venkatesan, said the police.

Venkatesan, who is the state energy secretary, had alleged that Das and his associates had trespassed into her house at Thaiyur in the city's outskirts on May 18 after assaulting the security guard. In her complaint to the police earlier this week, Venkatesan had said that Das and 10 others forcibly entered the house at Thaiyur on Saturday and assaulted the security guard,

The Kelambakkam police had registered a case.

Disconnecting power supply

While Venkatesan had said in her complaint that the property belonged to her, Das said he has been residing in the house since 1999 with the property registered in his name. He has blamed Venkatesan for disconnecting the power supply in the house by allegedly misusing her powers as energy secretary.

He has moved the Madras high court in this regard on Thursday and the court has asked Venkatesan to respond. News reports said that Venkatesan has already initiated divorce proceedings against him.

Confirming the arrest from his house in Panaiyur, the Tambaram police said that they were finishing the formalities for producing him before a magistrate.

Sexual harassment case

Last year, Das, who had served as special DGP during the previous AIADMK regime, was convicted by a court in Villupuram in a case of sexual harassment of a junior woman IPS officer.

He had been sentenced to three years' imprisonment. While the Madras high court refused to give him relief, the Supreme Court has provided him temporary relief, a reprieve from arrest. In December 2023, a month ahead of his superannuation, Das was penalised with compulsory retirement by the Tamil Nadu government.