Chennai college girl rape case: Cops appeal not to scuttle probe with undue criticism

CHENNAI: With criticisms mounting on Greater Chennai Police's handling of the alleged sexual assault on a mentally challenged city college student, police clarified that they are effectively handling the case and made an appeal to not criticise the investigation as it could affect the victim's family.

Police said two persons, including a college student, have been arrested. There have been challenges to the investigation as the victim is mentally challenged, and four special teams have been assigned to the case, according to an official statement.

"Criticism on a sensitive case like this will not only hinder investigations by discouraging witnesses. It will also affect the survivor's family members," Chennai Police said.

Egmore All Women Police Station (AWPS) personnel have arrested two persons - a college student and a class 12 student, based on a complaint from the girl's father. The girl's father had alleged that his daughter's female classmate and her friends had been guiding her badly, which led to the sexual assault. The family filed a complaint at Ayanavaram AWPS, which was subsequently moved to Egmore AWPS, police said

The victim is a third-year city college student living with her father. The girl's mother died of health complications in 2022. Recently, the father, who works as a load man, learnt about obscene material in his daughter's mobile phone and enquired about it. The girl told him that she was taken to a lodge by the men several times and raped there on multiple occasions.