10 Women Lawyers move Madras HC in fresh PIL on Pollachi Rape case

The Madras High Court has issued notice in yet another plea filed in the wake of the Pollachi rape case. Ten women advocates have approached the High Court with the following prayers:.Direct the constitution of a Fact Finding Team lead by a Senior Advocate practicing in the Madras High Court. The members of this team should also include a Retired Woman Police Officer and a Woman Social worker. This team is to file a report before the High Court about the case based on their findings as well.Direct the constitution of a Complaint Committee led by a Senior Woman Advocate and comprising of office bearers of the Women Lawyer Association and other interested women lawyers. The Committee may be directed to make arrangements to assist women in making complaints in sexual crimes and to extend counselling and aid to women victims.Direct the Inspector General of Police to register a criminal case against police authorities and media persons who unlawfully divulged the survivor’s name in the Pollachi case under Sections 228 (a) and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. In this regard, it is prayed that the case be registered against IPS officer Pandiarajan, Sub-Inspector T Rajendra Prasad and the Editor of the Tamil Daily Maalaimalar.Transfer the case to a Special Investigation Team led by a gender-sensitive officer, not below the rank of DIG, for the effective investigation of the case under the supervision of the High Court, following the guidelines of the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Delhi Domestic Working Women Forum v Union of India caseDirect the Chairperson of the State Commission for Women to constitute a permanent complaint committee in every district headquarters presided by a Retired District Judge and comprising of experienced and sensitive women lawyers, psychiatrist and social activists to give counselling and assistance to victims as per the Vishaka guidelines..The prayers have been made citing the failure of the State machinery in protecting the victims while handling the Pollachi rape case. Inter alia, the petitioners cite the delay in registering the case, the revelation of the survivor’s personal details by the police and inadequate investigative efforts by the CB-CID to buttress their plea for the constitution of an SIT to inquire into the matter..The petition also highlights that one of the accused in the case had admitted that there were several other victims who were entrapped in the Pollachi sex racket. However, as was also highlighted in initial submissions made before the Court today, other victims have been reluctant to approach the authorities in view of the poor handling of the Pollachi case by the State..The First Bench of Chief Justice VK Tahilramani and Justice M Duraiswamy today issued notice in the matter and posted the case for June 7..Two other PILs in the matter are already pending before the Bench in this case. On March 30, the Court issued notice in a plea by six women lawyers seeking directions to create a safe environment for the survivors of the Pollachi rape case. Earlier, the Bench had also issued notice in another PIL filed for a court-monitored probe into the matter..In February this year, news broke about a gang in Pollachi and Coimbatore, which had blackmailed and raped hundreds of women, including college-going students. As per reports, the gang would contact the women using fake social media accounts and lure them into meetings, where the women were sexually molested and recorded on camera. The video recordings were used to further blackmail them..The racket came to light after the brother of a survivor lodged a police complaint on behalf of his sister. The case assumed political overtones after the brother was reportedly attacked for having lodged the complaint by a group of persons including a youth wing member of the ruling AIADMK party, who was expelled from the party shortly after that..Amidst public outcry, the Coimbatore Superintendent of Police, R Pandiarajan revealed the names of the survivor and her brother during a press conference. Even as the police faced public criticism for the same, the Tamil Nadu government revealed the survivor’s name, as well as the college she studied in, in a GO transferring the Pollachi sexual assault case to the CBI..The Madurai Bench of the High Court thereafter ordered that a fresh GO be issued instead, without revealing the identity of the survivor. The Bench had also directed that the State government pay a sum of Rs. 25 lakh to the survivor as compensation for having disclosed her name..The controversy surrounding the case has also prompted two lawyers to file a plea for a Supreme Court-monitored probe in the matter. The plea, which is pending before the Supreme Court, also calls for transferring the trial outside Tamil Nadu.