Anna University rape case: Madras HC orders 25 lakh compensation, all-woman SIT to probe assault

The Madras High Court (HC), today, Saturday, December 12, took serious note of the police’s handling of the sexual assault of a 19-year-old Anna University student, particularly criticising the victim-blaming language used in the First Information Report (FIR).  This was stated in a report by Maltoob Media. 

“The deplorable language of the FIR paves the way for victim blaming. It is shocking,” the court observed, according to Bar and Bench.  

A Christmas vacation Bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan directed the Tamil Nadu government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the survivor for the police’s failure to protect her identity, which was revealed in the FIR published on the police website. The court also ordered that protection be provided to the victim and her family.  

The Chennai Police had arrested a roadside biryani vendor, Gnanasekaran, on December 25 for allegedly sexually assaulting a student on the Anna University campus two days earlier. 

However, the FIR leak and its contents sparked widespread outrage, prompting the court to take suo motu cognisance of the case.  

The court has constituted an all-woman Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe both the sexual assault and the FIR leak. The SIT includes Indian Police Service (IPS) officers Bhukya Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal, and S Brinda. Additionally, the court directed the cybercrime police to register a separate case to investigate the FIR leak.  

The State government, represented by Advocate General PS Raman, argued that the FIR leak was due to technical issues and stated that 14 individuals had accessed the unmasked FIR. “We have tracked all of them,” the AG informed the court.  

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also taken cognisance of the case. Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar announced the formation of a fact-finding committee, comprising NCW member Mamta Kumari and former Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Dixit, to investigate and recommend further action.  

The court strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu police’s handling of the case, particularly questioning the Commissioner of Police’s statement that only the accused was involved in the crime. The court's directives aim to ensure accountability and justice in the case while safeguarding the victim's rights.