For the first time in the city, a protection order under the recently amended Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Act 2025, which bars an accused from establishing contact with the victim, was issued in a case booked at Maduravoyal Station. Police claimed that it was the first protection order issued in the city police limits.
Police said Zahir Hussain, 32, from Tiruvannamalai was arrested by Maduravoyal Police for blackmailing and harassing a 27-year-old woman on June 24. Investigation revealed that the woman and Zahir, became acquainted with each other when they were working together for two years. After learning that her family were looking for alliance and she distanced herself from him, he followed her and threatened to stop her marriage by uploading pictures of her with him on social media. She lodged the complaint with the police and he was arrested on charges under provisions of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Act 2025 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Based on directions from the City Police Commissioner A.Arun, Maduravoyal police requested the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Central Chennai to issue a protection order in favour of the victim, and obtained the order on Friday.
Recently in January 2025 , the Tamil Nadu Government had amended the old Tamil Nadu’s Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act 1998 to make the law more effective and robust in tune with the present times. Accordingly, a provision was made in Tamil Nadu, which envisaged the issuance of a Protection Order in favour of a woman wherein the accused would be prohibited from attempting to communicate with her in any form including electronic and the breach of the same had been made as recognizable crime, said a senior police officer.
Published – July 12, 2025 11:54 pm IST