The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday has launched an inquiry into the sexual assault of a 19-year-old female student on the Anna University campus.
A two-member fact-finding committee has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee includes NCW member Mamta Kumari and retired IPS officer Praveen Dixit, who is also the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Special Rapporteur for the Maharashtra and Goa zone. The team will review the First Information Report (FIR), analyze the circumstances surrounding the assault, and assess the actions taken by the authorities so far.
As part of the probe, the committee will visit the crime scene within the university premises. They will also interact with the survivor, her family and friends, concerned officials, and NGOs to gather facts and understand the broader context of the incident.
“The panel will suggest measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” the NCW stated. The commission had earlier issued a notice to the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) after taking suo moto cognizance of the case.
Case Insights
The assault occurred on December 23 when the second-year engineering student from the College of Engineering was attacked inside the Guindy campus. According to the complaint, the survivor and her male friend were approached by a man who threatened them and attacked the male student. The accused, Gnanasekaran, a 37-year-old biryani vendor, then forced the girl to perform sexual acts. He was arrested the day after the survivor reported the incident.
In response to the incident, Anna University has implemented heightened security measures. Entry to the campus has been strictly regulated to prevent unauthorized access. Furthermore, 140 security personnel have been deployed to patrol the campus in three shifts, ensuring round-the-clock monitoring.
This incident has sparked outrage and brought renewed focus on the safety of students on educational campuses. The NCW’s intervention aims to ensure justice for the survivor and to push for robust measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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