PA booked for lewd remarks

The Marine Drive police on Tuesday registered a case against Sunil Mali, personal secretary of health minister, Dr Deepak Sawant, for allegedly threatening and outraging the modesty of a woman, officials informed. Meanwhile, the female health officer went on strike at Azad Maidan and has demanded suspension and arrest of Mr Mali.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that police was not lodging a FIR so the woman went on strike. The complainant medical officer on Monday paid a visit to Marine Drive police station to file a complaint of misbehavior and outraging her modesty against Mr Mali however officials avoided registering the complaint. Thereafter, she want on strike, following which on Tuesday evening, officials registered the case against Mr Mali.

The complainant in her complaint had alleged that Mr Mali called her to his office on March 16 and spoke to her in a lewd manner. The complainant said the incident occurred on March 16 at around 7pm when she approached Mr Mali at Mantralaya to discuss a digital public health centre she had started. “Mr Mali made me sit in an anti-chamber for around two hours and later began asking me personal questions,” she said. She alleged that he commented on her clothes, which outraged her modesty. Later, she wrote letters to Dr Sawant and CM Devendra Fadanvis, but no action was taken against Mr Mali while she demanded that he be sacked.

When approached, senior police inspector of Marine drive police station, Popat Yadav, said, “We on Tuesday registered the FIR under sections 354 A (making sexually coloured remarks) and 506 ( criminal intimidation) of IPC. Now our investigation is on and after it, our seniors will be informed who will decide about actions.”