Investigation into sexual harassment charges levelled by Pushpa Archana Lall – a law intern who was found dead in her Bengaluru room on Saturday, 24 November – will continue, police told The Quint on Tuesday, 27 November.
Lall was found dead just four days after she filed a complaint against senior advocate Chandra Nayak T of Jayanth Pattanshetti and Associates and his advocate-friend Chetan Desai. According to senior police officials, the accused have been served a notice to appear before them for questioning.
While the Vyalikaval police station is handing the case of Lall’s unnatural death, the Commercial Street police are investigating Lall’s accusations of sexual harassment and stalking against the two accused.
Desai and Nayak had got bail on 22 November, two days after she had filed the complaint.
Despite the FIR, the two had not been called for questioning by investigating officers till now. However, DCP (East) Rahal Kumar Shahapurwad told The Quint that the two accused would be interrogated at the earliest, and denied reports that there had been a delay in following the procedure in the case.
Also called a 164 statement, it is the provision used to make statements made during an investigation, admissible under the Indian Evidence Act.
In her complaint, Lall had claimed that she had met Nayak and Desai through work.
Police officials said that her call records, text messages and other communication information are valuable in this case, with cops already in possession of some incriminating evidence.
“There is proof to support her claims of harassment. We are going to follow all leads and make sure the investigation is done properly,” they said.
Police sources said that Nayak and Desai had asked her family to come to Bengaluru to "talk sense into her”.
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