Two advocates from Tamil Nadu have also sought a direction from the Supreme Court to safeguard the identities of the victims involved in the Pollachi sexual assault case
New Delhi: In a latest development in the Pollachi sexual assault case, two advocates from Tamil Nadu have moved the apex court seeking a court-monitored probe. They have also asked the court to issued directions to the state of Tamil Nadu and the police to safeguard the identities of victims and their families.
A Rajarajan and Y William Vinoth Kumar, who are currently practicing in Delhi, moved the Supreme Court saying, "let the investigation be monitored by this court as the entire scandal seems to have been done with political nexus and the victims have already suffered a barbaric sexual assault."
The petitioners also prayed that the investigation be monitored by the top court especially in view of the fact that one of the victims' identity had been insensitively revealed.
The petition said that the apex court's monitor would "create a conducive atmosphere for the suspected victims to come out and file a complaint; to keep the identity of the suspected victims under secrecy and to restrain media trials and to restrain online publishing of victims' videos, if any, possessed by any individual."
Petitioners have also sought directions to the director general of police to initiate a department enquiry against Coimbatore rural superintendent of police R Pandiarajan for revealing the identity of the victim.
The petition also seeks transfer of all related cases outside of Tamil Nadu.
The Pollachi sexual assault case came to light when a 19-year-old college student was asked to meet one of the accused in the case outside her college, during lunch break.
When the girl met the accused, he took her in his car where three others were also hiding.
The accused then misbehaved with the student and sexually assaulted her, while the other three were filming the act.
Soon after, the police found that several girls had been trapped by the accused and they recovered hundredss of videos from their phones.
Names from leading political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu have come out since the incident came to light.
The case has now been transferred to the CBI and the accused are currently in judicial remand.
Last Updated Mar 15, 2019, 6:26 PM IST