Anna University case: NCW assails govt. for letting a ‘criminal’ roam varsity campus; SIT begins probe into case

Strong condemnation: A group of women advocates had submitted a representation to the NCW, demanding stringent action against the accused. File photo
| Photo Credit: K.V. Srinivasan

The two-member fact-finding committee of the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday left for New Delhi after its two-day visit to the city in connection with the sexual assault on a student on the Anna University campus.

Its members — Mamta Kumari, member of the NCW, and Praveen Dixit, former DGP of Maharashtra — arrived in the city on Monday. While leaving, Ms. Kumari and Mr. Dixit blamed the State government for allowing the accused in the case, who has criminal cases against him, to roam freely on the university campus.

The team members interacted with the university authorities, the complainant and her family members. They inspected the scene of crime. They also met Governor R.N. Ravi at the Raj Bhavan on Monday.

A group of women advocates led by K.M. Nalinishree submitted a representation to the NCW, demanding stringent action against the accused and steps to protect students on the campus. The team would be submitting its report to NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar.

Meanwhile, the three-member all-woman Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on the orders of the High Court, and comprising Deputy Commissioners of Police Bhukya Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal and S. Brinda, began its probe into the case and the leak of the First Information Report, officials said.

EPS flays DMK

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami hit out at the DMK government for its alleged attempts to “shield someone” from being booked in the case. “Why should Ministers for Law, Higher Education, and Social Welfare get so worked up? Who are they trying to protect? There is a suspicion that someone close to them is involved in the case,” Mr. Palaniswami told reporters at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai.

Comparing the DMK government’s approach towards cases of sexual assault with that of his government, he recalled that when the Pollachi sexual assault and blackmails surfaced, he had got the case transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The present regime, however, had challenged the Madras High Court’s order of handing over a POCSO case concerning a girl in Anna Nagar to the CBI, he pointed out.

BJP rally

BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai has announced that his party’s women’s wing would take out a rally from Madurai to Chennai on January 3, condemning the ruling DMK over the case.

“Attempts are being made by the ruling government to cover up the truth in the case, as the accused is a member of the DMK. Our women’s wing members will [take out a] rally. Upon reaching Chennai, they will meet Governor R.N. Ravi and submit a petition,” he posted on social media.

Separately, in a press conference, former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan questioned the silence of the DMK’s allies on the issue. “Instead of staging protests against Amit Shah, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan should criticise the government on this issue.”