CHENNAI: In a first, the Greater Chennai Police (GCP) has used the amendment to Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act enacted earlier this year to issue a protection order for a 27-year-old woman from her harasser.

According to Section 7-C included to the TNPHW Act in January, an executive magistrate can pass a protection order prohibiting the accused from attempting to communicate with the aggrieved person in any form whatsoever, including personal, oral, written, electronic, or telephonic contact, or through third parties.

In the present case, the police obtained a protection order for a 27-year-old woman from her estranged boyfriend, Zakir Hussain (32), who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on June 24. The accused had threatened the victim that he would share photographs of them together, and stop her wedding prospects. After he continuously harassed her, the woman approached the Maduravoyal police.

After his arrest, on instructions of the top brass of city police, the Maduravoyal police approached the Revenue Divisional Officer (Central Chennai) and obtained the protection order against Zakir Hussain.

As per the Act, breaching the protection order shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years and a fine up to Rs 1 lakh.