CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the Anna University student sexual assault case. However, it deferred the hearing as the Chief Justice is yet to grant a nod.
A division bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan initiated the suo motu petition following a request made by an advocate, R Varalakshmi.
She prayed for the court to take cognisance of the matter, given the gravity of the crime.
Subsequently, the bench directed the Home Secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Anna University to respond to the petition at 2.15 pm.
However, when the court reassembled for the post-lunch session, the judges said they would take up the matter after getting the nod from the Chief Justice who was not in station.
“We have initiated the suo motu petition but we have placed it before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders,” they stated.
Advocate General (AG) PS Raman told the bench that no order could be passed without hearing him on the matter and sought it to be adjourned to Saturday.
“In the meantime, the state will file a status report,” he informed.
Meanwhile, advocates including Jayaprakash of AIADMK informed the bench that they had filed separate PILs and pressed for the court to take them up immediately if it is unable to proceed with the suo motu petition.
Advocate Varalakshmi, in her letter to the court, stated that even if the culprit Gnanasekaran was nabbed, another person involved in the case has not been arrested yet.
It can be noted that the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Police on Thursday told the media that the investigation so far has not revealed the matter of any other person.
“All the cases registered against Gnanasekaran are being shelved. Furthermore, he was being released without being classified as a criminal. He has not been placed on the watch list of the local police station, thereby allowing him to commit further offences,” the letter alleged.
Varalakshmi raised doubts over the impartiality and efficiency of the ongoing probe as the culprit had strong connections with the ruling party and had held several party posts.
Pointing out the leaking of the FIR revealing the identity of the victim, she alleged that crimes against women have been on the rise.
She also recalled the incidents of sexual assault on girls in the fake NCC camps in Krishnagiri district and assault on a minor girl in Chennai.
Advocate Varalakshmi sought the HC to set up a special investigation committee led by a sitting woman judge to oversee the probe or alternatively transfer the case to the CBI.
