The Nagaland Police have launched a formal investigation into allegations of sexual and mental harassment levelled against an IAS officer by multiple women employees of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN). A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to thoroughly probe the matter.
The investigation was initiated following a written complaint submitted to the Director General of Police on March 17, 2025, by the chairperson of the Nagaland State Women Commission (NSCW), Nginyeih Konyak. This complaint was based on a verbal intimation received by the NSCW on February 27, 2025, from Abu Metha, the IDAN Chairman and Advisor to the Chief Minister, concerning the IAS officer.
The NSCW had previously recorded the statements of several women working at IDAN on March 5, 2025, who accused the joint secretary-level IAS officer of demanding sexual favours in exchange for salary increases and employment opportunities. The accused officer has denied these accusations.
According to the police, a formal complaint from the alleged victims, addressed to Abu Metha, was forwarded by the IDAN Chairman to the NSCW on March 3, 2025. These documents were subsequently sent to the police headquarters, leading to a preliminary inquiry.
On March 25, 2025, the police headquarters assigned a female Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) to conduct this initial inquiry. The DSP’s report, submitted on April 1, 2025, reportedly found preliminary evidence supporting the allegations made by the IDAN women employees against the IAS officer. The report recommended a more in-depth criminal investigation, which led to the registration of an FIR on April 2, 2025.
To ensure a comprehensive investigation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a senior IPS officer was constituted on April 5, 2025. The police headquarters stated that the SIT is actively investigating all aspects of the case.
This is not the first time the IAS officer has faced serious allegations. In 2021, while serving as the deputy commissioner of Noklak, he was reportedly booked for allegedly molesting two underage domestic workers at his official residence. A charge sheet was filed in that case on December 2, 2021, and the Special POCSO Court in Tuensang has taken cognisance of the matter.
