Anna University Sexual Assault: Supreme Court Stays HC Order On Adverse Remarks Against Police

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed key portions of a Madras High Court order, including adverse remarks against Chennai Police Commissioner and other officials, related to the leak of the FIR and the survivor’s identity in the alleged sexual assault of an Anna University student.

A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma also stayed, until further notice, the High Court’s directive for a departmental inquiry into the FIR leak.

Specifically, the Court stayed paragraphs 20, 21, 23, and 29(9) of the High Court order. Paragraph 29(9) had directed the Tamil Nadu government and the Home Secretary to initiate a departmental inquiry into lapses and negligence by officials under relevant service rules.

The Supreme Court issued notice on Tamil Nadu’s plea seeking to expunge the adverse remarks concerning police lapses.

However, the Court clarified that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted for the case would continue its probe.

During the hearing, senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Siddharth Luthra, representing the state government, argued that the FIR and survivor’s details were inadvertently leaked due to a “technical glitch” in the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) managed by the Centre.

Rohatgi explained that the error occurred during the migration from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The state government also emphasized that it did not oppose the formation of the all-women SIT, which was part of the High Court’s earlier directive.

The Madras High Court had previously criticised the Police Commissioner for holding a press conference on the case without government sanction, terming it an avoidable action. It also flagged the FIR leak as a serious lapse that caused additional trauma to the survivor and her family.

Furthermore, the High Court criticised the insensitive wording of the FIR, which it said contributed to victim-blaming.

The alleged sexual assault occurred on December 24, 2024, on the Anna University campus in Chennai, involving a second-year engineering student. The case continues to highlight the importance of safeguarding survivor identities and ensuring accountability in law enforcement.

The Supreme Court has scheduled further hearings to address the issues raised.

Read More: Will Mumbai’s Coastal Road Project End City’s Traffic Issues?