Madras High Court directs CBI probe after Chennai policewomen assault POCSO victim's parents

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations that personnel from an all-woman police station in Chennai violated the rights of a minor sexual assault victim and assaulted her parents.

A Bench of Justices SM Subramaniam and V Sivagnanam directed the CBI to investigate the allegations made by the parents of the victim, who had claimed that an inspector of the Anna Nagar All Women Police Station in Chennai had questioned the minor victim in the absence of her parents.

The parents also told the Court that when they questioned the police’s conduct, the inspector allegedly assaulted them and snatched away their phones.

The Court said that it found there was a “clear violation of Section 24 of the POCSO Act,” and that it was disturbed by the manner in which the victim and her parents had been treated by the police.

“We are not satisfied with the manner in which the case was registered. This Court is very disturbed and expresses its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the POCSO case was registered, how the victim was examined, and the manner of investigation. We have no option but to transfer the investigation from the State police to the CBI,” the High Court said.

On September 25, the High Court had taken suo motu cognisance following a news report highlighting the alleged incident.

The parents of the victim had subsequently filed a habeas corpus petition before the Court. While the State had opposed both the habeas corpus petition and the Court taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the Court heard both pleas together.

The parents suspected that their minor daughter was sexually abused by their neighbour on August 29, and thus took her for a medical examination to a nearby doctor. They were then sent to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where the said police inspector came to record their statements. The inspector asked them to visit the police station the next day, but took the victim aside and began to question her near the hospital lift, the parents said.

The next day, the inspector allegedly asked the victim’s parents to agree to settle the issue with the accused and when they refused, she assaulted them, the Court was told.

Advocate R Sampath Kumar appeared for the parents.

State Public Prosecutor and Senior Advocate Hasan Mohammed Jinnah appeared for the State.