Former Haryana IG gets bail in molestation case

Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday granted interim anticipatory bail to former Haryana Inspector General of Police M S Ahlawat in a case of alleged molestation of a woman lawyer.

The case against Ahlawat was registered at Yamunanagar police station on June 8 on the charges of sexual harassment of the woman lawyer in 2002 when he was the then Superintendent of Police (SP) of Yamunanagar.

The victim had allegedly met Ahlawat in connection with a dowry harassment case filed by her against her husband. She alleged that Ahlawat called her to his camp office at his residence and allegedly tried to outrage her modesty.

In 2002 also, she had lodged a complaint against the accused, but the police had not registered a case in this connection. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Swaranjit Singh had later conducted an inquiry into the matter and recommended departmental proceedings against Ahlawat.

Ahlawat went underground after a Yamunanagar court recently rejected his anticipatory bail plea. Thereafter the police had issued a look-out notice and put airports on alert.