Sending ripples through India’s elite IPS ecosystem and even shocking the general public, IPS trainee HK Suma has lodged a police complaint against her batchmate, M. Uday Krishna Reddy, accusing him of sexual harassment and physical assault.
Mr. Uday Krishna Reddy, who started out as a constable in Andhra Pradesh and became an IPS officer by securing 350th in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, has vehemently denied the charges. He claimed that the accusations stem from a failed personal relationship.
Following the FIR, IPS trainee Uday Krishna Reddy reportedly attempted suicide and is now stable in hospital care. Sources indicate that he may have consumed excessive alcohol. He wrote a note detailing his version of the events, maintaining his innocence.
At this point, Mr. Uday Krishna Reddy stands suspended while the investigation is still in progress, leading to the question as to whether his suspension was hasty and even arbitrary.
Allegations and Counter Allegations
The complainant, a 30-year-old married probationer from Karnataka (referred to as Suma HK in the FIR), has alleged a pattern of abuse as per the FIR filed at Attapur Police Station.
Complainant’s allegation – Mr. Uday Krishna Reddy allegedly sent Ms. Suma sexually abusive WhatsApp messages, used vulgar language in Telugu in front of other trainees, and even spread rumors about her having an affair with another officer. On July 8, he is accused of having forcibly taken her phone to his room, demanding her password, accessing private chats, secretly recording a private video without consent, and sending one to her husband as blackmail.
Uday Krishna Reddy’s version –
IPS trainee Uday wrote in his note that the complainant Suma has visited his room on ‘many’ occasions of her own accord, and that they have been in a ‘physical’ and ‘emotional’ relationship for the past one year. He said that the video in question was recorded by him as ‘proof’ in his defense, after she initiated a fight.
Complainant’s allegation – On July 9, Uday Krishna Reddy reportedly confined her in his room, grabbed her by the hair, attempted to strangle her, held a knife to her neck, prevented her from leaving, and threw condom packets at her. Further groping and inappropriate touching were claimed the next morning (July 10).
Uday Krishna Reddy’s version – Uday Krishna Reddy has claimed in his note that his WhatsApp conversations would prove that she had voluntarily been visiting his room for a long time, and he had not used any force to bring her in.
Police invoked multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 74, 75, 77, 78, 79 (sexual harassment and related offenses), 127(2), 115(2), 351(2) (intimidation and assault), along with IT Act provisions 66E and 67A for privacy violations and explicit material transmission.
Analyzing the logical consistency of the complaint
Logical scrutiny of the case reveals potential vulnerabilities.
The academy is a closed, surveilled environment with constant oversight, making prolonged unchecked escalation (multiple room incidents, knife threat) rather surprising without earlier intervention or reporting.
Mr. Uday Krishna Reddy’s camp, including his brother (a lawyer), asserts the interactions were consensual, backed by chats, photos, and videos proving a ‘failed relationship’ rather than one-sided harassment. They allege the complainant is misusing gender-protective laws post-breakup to damage his career.
IPS trainee Uday Krishna Reddy’s own social media statements prior to the suicide attempt described the claims as ‘baseless’ and expressed faith in due process. His suicide note (widely circulated in reports) claims the complainant visited his room voluntarily and manipulated events.
While a suicide attempt does not prove innocence or guilt, it underscores the immense psychological pressure on trainees, where careers can shatter over unproven allegations.
Meanwhile, the hasty suspension of Mr. Uday Krishna Reddy without verifying his WhatsApp conversations, which he claims are proof of his innocence, is being flagged as potentially arbitrary.