TIRUVANNAMALAI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo moto cognisance of the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in Cheyyar, Tiruvannamalai.
In an X post on Wednesday, the commission said that the incident has raised grave concerns about the safety and security of young girls and highlights the urgent need for stronger preventive mechanisms against such heinous crimes.
NCW chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar directed Tamil Nadu DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore to ensure the prompt registration of FIR, immediate arrest of all the accused and a fair and time-bound investigation. She sought a detailed action taken report from the DGP within five days. Furthermore, she issued directions for measures to be taken to provide comprehensive medical counseling, rehabilitation and support for the survivor and her family.
Condemning the incident, the NCW said that it was a gross violation of human rights and leaves deep physical, emotional and psychological scars on the survivor. Such incidents demand immediate accountability and the strictest legal action, the commission added.
Meanwhile, police sources on Wednesday reiterated the incident was not a gang rape but a consensual act. Since the girl is a minor, a case was registered by the Brammadesam police under the Pocso Act on March 21, they added.
The 16-year-old girl, a native of Kancheepuram, had come to her grandmother’s house in Seembalam village, Cheyyar, where the incident took place at an empty plot on March 19.