FIR leak in Anna University case: SC stays HC remarks on Tamil Nadu cops
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras High Court order directing the Tamil Nadu government to initiate a departmental probe over the FIR leak in the alleged sexual assault case of a female student of Anna University.
The bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma, in its interim order, also stayed certain observations of the High Court against the Tamil Nadu Police while hearing a plea of the state government seeking an expunction of the observations made in the HC’s December 28, 2024 order.
The HC had directed the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) comprising three women IPS officers to probe the alleged sexual assault of a woman student in the university campus.
“The government of Tamil Nadu is directed to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25,00,000 to the victim girl immediately, for the lapses by the police department in paving way for leaking FIR and for the trauma undergone by the victim girl and by her family members,” said the high court order.
The HC had also held the Chennai Police Commissioner and other officials responsible for the alleged leak of the FIR and vital information about the identity of the survivor in the case.
After hearing the plea, the apex court made it clear that SIT in the case shall continue its investigation, but stayed the High Court observations that there were lapses on the part of the police.
During the hearing on Monday, TN government’s counsel Mukul Rohatgi, argued that the details of the victim and the FIR were leaked due to a ‘technical glitch’ from the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) managed by the Centre.
He said the state government was not challenging the SIT probe and ` 25 lakhs compensation to the survivor but was challenging the observation made by Madras HC against the TN government and Commissioner of Police, Chennai.
A second-year engineering student was allegedly sexually assaulted inside the Anna University campus in Chennai on December 24, 2024, prompting widespread outrage from opposition parties and civil society.