Madras HC reconstitutes SIT to probe Anna Nagar Pocso case audio leak
A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice C Kumarappan heard the suo motu proceedings regarding the case where a 10-year-old girl from Anna Nagar was sexually harassed.
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court reconstituted the special investigation team (SIT) to probe the audio leakage of the statement given by the 10-year-old girl who suffered sexual harassment.
A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice C Kumarappan heard the suo motu proceedings regarding the case where a 10-year-old girl from Anna Nagar was sexually harassed.
Additional public prosecutor E Raj Tilak submitted that Saroj Thakur, the IPS officer who headed the SIT constituted by the Supreme Court, was deputed to the Union government, while the two other officers part of the SIT, Ayam Jamal and Brinda, were also handling the investigation into the sexual assault of the Anna University student.
Pointing out that the SIT concluded the investigation in the main case of the 10-year-old student being sexually assaulted, and only the probe into the leakage of audio was pending, he said it could be handled by the cybercrime officers.
After the submission and suggestion of the State, the bench appointed Deputy Commissioner Packerla Cephas Kalyan as head of the SIT, which would now have Shanti Devi and Praveen Kumar from cybercrime to probe the audio leakage. The bench then directed the team to submit the report regarding the investigation within two weeks and adjourned the matter.
On August 30, 2024, the mother of the girl lodged a complaint at Anna Nagar all women police station stating that her daughter was sexually abused by a person residing near their house. After she lodged the complaint, inspector Raji allegedly attacked the parents inside the police station in the presence of the accused, who is said to be a politically influential person.
It was also submitted that the inspector harassed the child while she was admitted to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital and also recorded her statement without the presence of her mother.
Hence, the HC took suo motu cognizance and transferred the probe to the CBI. Later, the Supreme Court intervened in the case and formed the SIT to continue the probe.