CHENNAI: Directing the CBI to work on arresting all those accused in the Pollachi sexual abuse case so the trial can begin in the first week of September, the Madras High Court on Wednesday observed that Mahatma Gandhi envisaged a day when women could walk fearlessly even at night, but now, the situation is so “pathetic” that women can’t even do so during the day.
It also directed the district mahila court, Coimbatore, to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis and complete it within six months. Justice M Dhandapani passed these directions while rejecting a bail plea from K Arulanantham, the eighth accused in the case.The court also stressed that the public prosecutor appointed by the CBI before the trial court will take the assistance of K Srinivasan, Special Public Prosecutor for CBI Cases, High Court, Madras, and directed the government to assign J Mutharasi, Superintendent of Police, CBCID-Unit-2, to assist the CBI in the prosecution.
The judge further directed the State to initiate departmental action against the then Superintendent of Police (Pollachi) and other police personnel who disclosed the names of the rape victims and the accused to the media. This would be in addition to the `25 lakh fine collected from them based on directions from the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the judge added.
Considering the nature and gravity of the offence and also the status and influence involved, the judge directed the State to strictly implement the provisions of the Witness Protection Scheme, formulated by the Central government following a direction from the Supreme Court in 2018. The judge said the possibility of the accused and their men coercing the victims and witnesses to retract their statements cannot be ruled out.
The witness protection measures as spelt out in the Witness Protection Scheme (2018) shall be strictly adhered to once the competent authority has passed an order protecting the identity of the witness, the judge said, and added that in view of the sensitivity that the case upholds, the trial court shall conduct the trial ‘in-camera’, wherever necessary.
Prior to concluding the hearing, the judge said he would like to recapitulate the words and thoughts of the father of the nation:“Mahatma Gandhi had lamented that the independence of the country would stand fully achieved only when a day comes when womenfolk are able to go outside without any fear during the night. However, the pathetic situation that has unfolded since Independence is that womenfolk are not able to move out without fear even during the daytime as their security and safety are at peril at the hands of anti-social elements, who prey on them to satisfy their lust as is reflected in this case, thereby rendering the independence attained through blood-sweating of our freedom fighters an effort in vain.”