A city police officer has been placed on paid administrative leave after being charged with rape and witness intimidation.
Police said the incident occurred at Bancroft Tower in August 2013 while Officer Rajat Sharda was "working as a police officer."
According to court records, Officer Sharda allegedly asked a
woman what she would be willing to do to avoid arrest and "made her do
something against her will in exchange for not being arrested."
The woman told department investigators the officer exposed
himself to her and raped her digitally, according to court records.
Reports also accuse the officer of taking the woman's bed comforter,
which she had her in possession at the time, and threatening her to keep
quiet.
The woman told police that Officer Sharda said she "better not
talk about this and if she did, he would find her, her children and her
family."
Worcester police received the complaint sometime after the
alleged incident, which allegedly occurred at Bancroft Tower, on
Bancroft Tower Road.
Officer Sharda, 32, of Worcester, was arrested Monday night in
Hudson and arraigned Tuesday in Central District Court. He is charged
with aggravated rape, extortion by a police officer, open and gross
lewdness, armed robbery and witness intimidation. Police list the
officer as living in Hudson, but court records list a Worcester address.
Officer Sharda was placed on restricted duty while the case was
being investigated by the department's sexual assault unit. Worcester
police did not specify when the complaint was filed.
"Worcester police launched an extensive investigation into the
allegations made against Mr. Sharda," police said in a news release.
"Based on the findings in the investigation, Worcester police obtained
an arrest warrant for Mr. Sharda."
Not-guilty pleas were entered during Tuesday's arraignment.
Officer Sharda posted $7,500 bail. He is due to return to court on March
25.
The officer, who is the only Indian officer on the department, was also ordered to turn in his passport.
Bruce Hopper, the officer's lawyer, said his client denies the allegations.
"For this officer, there is more to this than just defending
himself in court against false allegations," Mr. Hopper said. "Now he
must defend his honor as well."
Mr. Hopper said his client was recalled to the Worcester
Department in December 2011 after being part of the 2009 graduating
class, which was later laid off by the city.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Officer Michael Lafferty Arrested for DUI
A Pittsburgh police officer was arrested around 3:20 a.m. Monday and
charged with driving under the influence and careless driving, court
records show.
Michael Lafferty, 29, was assigned today to support services, pending an investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations, acting police Chief Regina McDonald said in a statement. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7.
When 3-day-old Bryce Coleman disappeared in August 2012 from Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, Officer Lafferty, who has been a city officer since Sept. 2009, helped identify and locate suspect Breona Moore.
Michael Lafferty, 29, was assigned today to support services, pending an investigation by the Office of Municipal Investigations, acting police Chief Regina McDonald said in a statement. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7.
When 3-day-old Bryce Coleman disappeared in August 2012 from Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, Officer Lafferty, who has been a city officer since Sept. 2009, helped identify and locate suspect Breona Moore.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)