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Synopsis

The Madras High Court on Saturday constituted an all-women Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the sexual assault case reported at Anna University. The SIT will comprise IPS officers Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal, and Brinda, and has been tasked with ensuring a fair and thorough probe into the matter.  

A vacation bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice V Lakshminarayanan also directed Rs 25 lakh compensation to be paid to the victim for the trauma caused by the leak of the First Information Report (FIR). Further, the university was ordered to provide the victim with free education and boarding, ensuring the continuation of her studies.  

The court's directions were issued in a suo motu case initiated based on a representation by a woman lawyer who alleged bias in the investigation by the city police. The bench expressed severe criticism of the Chennai Commissioner of Police for holding a press conference and disclosing details of the ongoing investigation. “If necessary, the Tamil Nadu government can initiate action against the Chennai Commissioner of Police,” the judges remarked.  

During the hearing, Advocate-General P S Raman attributed the FIR leak to a glitch in the National Informatics Centre's (NIC) online portal during a migration process. While asserting that the FIR was blocked within seconds of upload, he revealed that 14 individuals had accessed it during that brief window and were being tracked through their IP addresses. However, the court dismissed this explanation, highlighting that the migration occurred months earlier in July.  

The bench also criticized the contents of the FIR, calling it a classic case of victim blaming. “It is like blaming a woman’s dress for rape,” the judges noted.  

On the Commissioner’s statement that only one accused was involved, the court questioned the necessity of revealing such details when the investigation was incomplete. Rejecting claims by the AG that the press conference was held to counter media sensationalism, the bench questioned if police responses were being influenced by media narratives.  

While emphasizing the independence of the media, the court asserted that the state could take action against misinformation only within the bounds of law. Addressing safety concerns, the bench noted, “As per NCRB reports, Chennai and Coimbatore are the safest cities, but this is due to the good nature of the people, not the state.”

A second-year Anna University student was allegedly raped by two men on campus on the night of December 23. The attack occurred around 8 p.m. when the victim and her male friend were seated in a secluded part of the campus. The accused reportedly assaulted the male friend before targeting the woman.

On Wednesday, Chennai Police arrested one of the suspects, Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old roadside biriyani vendor from Kotturpuram. The Kotturpuram police filed a case under BNSS Section 64 and started investigation to identify and apprehend the second accused.

In a shocking lapse, the FIR in the case was leaked to the public on Thursday, sparking protests by students and opposition parties. The leaked document reportedly contained graphic details of the victim's ordeal, along with her name, address, and phone number.

Case Title: R Varalakshmi v The Government of Tamil Nadu and Others