Pulling up the police over the investigation into the rape of a girl student of Anna University inside the varsity campus, Madras High Court on Saturday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take over the probe and ordered an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim besides directing the state government to take action against the Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner.

The girl student, pursuing second year Mechanical Engineering at the university, a premier institution for technical education located in the heart of Chennai, was sexually assaulted after her boyfriend was thrashed the night before Christmas eve. On a complaint from her, the police arrested the accused, Gnanasekaran (37), running a roadside biriyani shop, and whose wife is an employee of the university.

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Passing interim orders on two PILs, a Christmas Vacation Bench of SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan, constituted the SIT comprising three women IPS officers. They are Sneha Priya, Ayman Jamal and Brinda.  The SIT would also probe the FIR leak case as well. The Bench then ordered Rs 25 lakh compensation to the victim and directed the varsity to extend free education and hostel facilities apart from providing necessary psychological support considering the trauma she had undergone.

Taking exception to City Commissioner of Police (CoP) A Arun claiming in a press conference that there is only one accused who had been arrested, the Bench during the hearing on Friday observed that this amounted to preempting the investigation. “How can he tell that only one accused was involved in the offence?” Justice Subramaniam asked and wanted to know whether there are any rules with respect to conduct of press meets by the police top brass even before the investigating officers, much below in rank, could conclude the investigation and bring out the truth.” It was also pointed out that the CoP had not secured prior permission of the state government to hold the press conference where he had made such a claim and revealed the details of the investigation. The Judges directed the government to act against him, if necessary, as per rules.

Castigating the police for the way in which the FIR was registered, revealing the identity of the victim, the Bench said FIRs should not demean the victim and cast aspersions and innuendos. Then, directing the Tamil Nadu DGP to ensure that in future leakage of FIRs in sexual offences cases involving women and children does not occur, the Bench disposed of the two PIL petitions.

Meanwhile, Governor RN Ravi, who is also chancellor of the varsity, conducted an inquiry into the issue at the campus with the university authorities. He was accompanied byTamil Nadu education secretary and other officials.

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