How can Commissioner make sweeping statements on Anna College sexual assault case: Madras Excessive Court docket

Justice Subramaniam additionally wished to know whether or not there have been any guidelines in place with respect to conduct of press meets by the highest police brass even earlier than the investigating officers, a lot under in rank, might conclude the investigation and convey out the reality. File

The Madras Excessive Court docket on Friday questioned as to how Larger Chennai Commissioner of Police A. Arun got here to a conclusion, proper on the preliminary stage of investigation, that nobody else however for a sole accused was concerned within the Anna College sexual assault case.

A Christmas trip Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Lakshminarayanan raised the question through the listening to of two public curiosity litigation petitions, filed by advocates R. Varalakshmi and A. Mohandoss, in search of a CBI probe within the case.

Justice Subramaniam referred to the Commissioner’s current press convention and requested how the investigating officer would be capable of probe into the problem freely and prosecute all of the accused if a superior officer jumps the gun and makes sweeping statements to the media. He additionally wished to know whether or not there have been any guidelines in place with respect to conduct of press meets by the highest police brass even earlier than the investigating officers, a lot under in rank, might conclude the investigation and convey out the reality.

Appreciating the girl pupil for having lodged a criticism associated to the surprising incident, the senior choose within the Bench mentioned there could possibly be many extra victims who have been hesitant to lodge complaints and, subsequently, the State ought to encourage all of them to come back out and complain boldly.

He mentioned sexual assault towards girls even in reputed establishments shouldn’t be tolerated and that stringent motion needs to be taken towards the perpetrators. He additionally expressed displeasure over the First Info Report (FIR) associated to the Anna College incident being accessible within the public area, thereby revealing the id of the accused.

Advocate Basic (AG) P.S. Raman advised the court docket that the police had arrested the accused inside 24 hours of receipt of the criticism and stoutly refuted the cost levelled by one of many writ petitioners that the accused was a member of the ruling DMK social gathering.

The AG mentioned he would file an in depth standing report on the motion taken to this point. Accepting his request, the Division Bench adjourned the 2 instances to Saturday for additional listening to. Although they took up a suo motu writ petition too, that case was referred to the Chief Justice for approval.