3-yr delay in filing charges: Action ordered against cop

Justice S Vaidyanathan while dismissing a miscellaneous plea moved by one of the accused seeking to modify the condition in her bail plea, said, “It is very unfortunate that no charge sheet has been filed against the petitioner even after a lapse of three years, when the petitioner has been charged with misappropriating Rs 20 lakhs from the complainant company.”

“As no steps has been taken to file the charge sheet in this case, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Chennai, is directed to identify the official, who is responsible for filing the charge sheet and take disciplinary action against him,” the judge said.

Also, noting that this court is of the view that the erring official need to be suspended from service for dereliction of duty, Justice Vaidyanathan made it clear that if it is brought to the knowledge of this court that the erring official has not been taken to task, serious action would be taken against persons who are responsible to same, apart from initiating contempt proceedings against them.

As per the prosecution, H Vadivukarasi (27) of Anna Nagar Pammal and R Durgadevi (27) of Andal Nagar Pozhichalur, while working at South India Cinema and Television Producers Association had allegedly misappropriated association funds by creating bogus vouchers to the tune of Rs 20 Lakhs.