The Madras High Court has undertaken suo motu proceedings concerning the alleged sexual assault of a second-year student at Anna University, Chennai, an incident that purportedly transpired on the night of December 23.
In connection with this case, authorities have apprehended one individual.
A division bench, comprising Justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayanan, initiated these proceedings in response to a formal submission by advocate R Varalakshmi.
However, the bench refrained from issuing immediate directives, citing the necessity for the Chief Justice’s listing of the case. In its deliberations, the court issued a pointed critique of the police for disclosing the identity of the victim, a breach that necessitated the adjournment of the matter to the subsequent day at 10:30 AM.
Advocate Varalakshmi underscored several systemic shortcomings that emerged during the court’s review. Among the primary concerns were the insufficiency of functional surveillance infrastructure within the university campus and procedural inadequacies in the police investigation. “A significant number of surveillance cameras on campus are inoperative.
Moreover, the FIR implicates an additional individual whose involvement remains insufficiently examined by the authorities,” Varalakshmi remarked. The court also raised critical questions regarding the operational efficacy of Anna University’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), directing both university officials and law enforcement agencies to address these deficiencies in their subsequent submissions.
The episode has elicited vigorous responses from political quarters. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has advocated for the transfer of the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), contending that the DMK-led government’s handling of law and order in Tamil Nadu is fundamentally flawed. Palaniswami announced a state-wide demonstration on December 30 to demand justice for the victim.
He asserted, “Tamil Nadu is witnessing a pervasive breakdown of law and order. Heinous crimes, including murder, sexual assault, and robbery, are becoming alarmingly frequent. In this instance, the accused, reportedly affiliated with the DMK, exhibited impunity on university premises.”
Palaniswami further decried the administration’s failure to effectively mitigate the rising incidence of harassment cases. “Under Chief Minister MK Stalin’s regime, there is a discernible escalation in such offenses, often accompanied by systemic protection of the perpetrators. During the AIADMK’s tenure, we ensured stringent punitive measures against sexual offenders,” he proclaimed.
Adding another dimension to the political critique, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai staged a highly symbolic protest by publicly whipping himself outside his residence.
Explaining the rationale behind this act, Annamalai remarked, “This demonstration is not a personal indictment but a profound expression of dissent against the pervasive injustices afflicting the state. Such acts of self-penance resonate deeply within Tamil cultural traditions as a means of opposing societal wrongs.”
Unified in their condemnation, opposition parties across Tamil Nadu have castigated the DMK government for its alleged mishandling of this incident and broader governance deficiencies. The Anna University case has galvanized widespread public indignation, with citizens and activists alike amplifying calls for accountability and expeditious justice.
Read More: Massive Fire Engulfs Scrap And Plastic Godowns In Kurla, Mumbai; No Casualties Reported
