BANGALORE: ADGP P Ravindranath , in the eye of a storm for photographing a woman, on Tuesday evening offered his resignation to DG&IGP Lalrokhuma Pachau . He was booked for allegedly taking objectionable photos of a freelance journalist at a café on Cunningham Road on Monday.

Pachau confirmed he had received a brief two-sentence handwritten resignation letter, and that it was under consideration.

Around 4pm, after multiple trips to the police station, Ravindranath went to the state police headquarters on Nrupathunga Road, changed into his uniform and rushed a little late to the conference hall on the fourth floor of Vikasa Soudha. The police review meeting was taking place, attended by home minister KJ George, additional chief secretary (home) SK Patnaik, Pachau and other senior officers.

Emerging from the room, Ravindranath gave a terse statement to the media: "Whatever the investigation, let it happen, I've given my resignation to the DGP." Sources said the letter would be forwarded to the state cabinet and then to the central government for approval, which is a long process.

Home minister KJ George said he was awaiting a detailed report from the DGP, and action would be taken based on it.

City police on Tuesday transferred the case from High Grounds station to Cubbon Park police .

High Grounds police registered a complaint -- FIR No. 166/14 -- under sections 354 and 506 of the IPC against the officer for taking pictures with his mobile of a woman sitting at the Au Bon Pain outlet on Cunningham Road. The woman is a resident of Rajajinagar.

DCP (Central division) Ravikanthe Gowda said police had seized the officer's mobile and would send it to the forensic laboratory to see the images Ravindranath had taken. "We'll conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations made by the woman," he said. A senior police officer said the issue could've been settled at the spot, but the officer tried to "threaten" the woman.

'STARING IN AN OBSCENE MANNER '

The woman's complaint stated she was sitting with her cousin around 9.30am on Monday. "We were talking when we noticed a man sitting next to us staring in an obscene manner. Then we noticed he was using a camera phone and taking pictures," stated the complaint, a copy of which is with TOI.

When she asked him to show the phone, "the man said sorry and tried to run out of the café". When her cousin, working with an IT company, tried to take away his phone, he manhandled and pushed her. "Another customer Sridhar, sitting on the first floor of the café, came to help. The man manhandled Sridhar too," the complaint read. They took away the phone and found he had taken "two obscene pictures of hers".

"... this man asked us 'Do you know who I am?' and threatened us and said 'I will take care of you'. Given this, I was under trauma and fear whether to file a complaint or not," the plaint stated.

