The Kangeyam All Women Police have registered a case against former Commissioner of Kangeyam Municipality on charges of sexually harassing women conservancy workers and using casteist slurs against them during his tenure.
According to police sources, three cases were registered against M. Muthukumar based on complaints from three women on March 3. He was booked under sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The allegations surfaced in September 2021, when the three women petitioned Tiruppur District Collector accusing the former Municipal Commissioner of sexually harassing them when they were employed as temporary workers in Kangeyam Municipality. While Mr. Muthukumar denied the allegations, Collector S. Vineeth ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the allegations. The accused was subsequently transferred from his post.
Sources said the women also moved the District Court demanding action against him earlier this year, following which Principal District and Sessions Judge (Tiruppur) Swarnam J. Natarajan directed the Tiruppur District Police to register a case. The Kangeyam All Women Police station received the court orders on March 2 and they registered three separate cases against him the next day, according to the police sources. Further investigation is on.
