Anna University sexual assault case: SC stays Madras HC direction to probe FIR leak

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras High Court's direction asking the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a departmental inquiry over an FIR leak in an alleged sexual assault case of a student from Chennai's Anna University. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma also stayed certain observations made by the high court against the state police in the matter.

The bench passed the interim order while hearing a plea of the Tamil Nadu government against certain observations made against the police by the high court in its December 28 2024 order. The high court directed constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) comprising three women IPS officers to probe the alleged sexual assault of a woman student in the university campus.

"The government of Tamil Nadu is directed to pay an interim compensation of Rs 25,00,000 to the victim girl immediately, for the lapses by the police department in paving way for leaking FIR and for the trauma undergone by the victim girl and by her family members," said the high court order.

Aside from the direction to conduct the departmental inquiry over the FIR leak, the high court asked the state to initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against the officials responsible and accountable for the lapses. The student was allegedly sexually assaulted in the campus of the premier technical institution recently, prompting widespread outrage from opposition parties and civil society.

The apex court, which issued notice on the state's plea, clarified the SIT would continue with its probe into the case. During the arguments, the state's counsel said they were not opposing the SIT's constitution. In its plea filed in the apex court, the state government said the high court failed to consider that details of the survivor and the FIR was leaked from the "citizen portal due to some technical glitch" which was also acknowledged by an email sent by National Informatics Centre.

The plea said the high court ought to have considered that as soon as the police was aware of the technical issue, the FIR was blocked again and another FIR was registered against those responsible for leaking the survivor's details to tv channels and on social media.