The Madras High Court expressed frustration with the Tamil Nadu government’s failure to uncover the motive behind the sexual harassment of girl students at a fake NCC camp in Krishnagiri, as well as the background of the accused individuals.
During a hearing of a PIL filed by advocate AP Suryaprakasam, which sought a CBI investigation into the case, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice P.B. Balaji questioned whether the investigation is proceeding as the State claims.
After speaking with students and parents, the Krishnagiri district legal services authority submitted a report, as directed by the Court. Upon reviewing the report, the bench was alarmed to find that some victims and their families wished to remove their children from the school due to the incident. According to the report, one of the sexual assault victims has requested to relocate far from the district and seeks support for her future.
The court questioned the State on why investigators had not uncovered the background of the accused, Sivaraman, or the methods he used to organize the fake NCC camp at various schools and identify any other individuals involved. The investigation officer reported that they had arrested an accused named Karunakaran and questioned another suspect, Bhuvan, who was believed to be a key figure in orchestrating the fake camp. Karunakaran, 32, a former member of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), had destroyed a computer hard disk and other crucial evidence after Sivaraman’s arrest. He was taken into custody last week.
Reviewing the report, the bench noted that Sivaraman had brandished two pistols during the camp and threatened the boys to prevent them from speaking about the incident. The bench directed the investigation team to explore these issues further.
Additionally, the bench requested clarification on the cause of Sivaraman’s death, as his father has expressed concerns. Advocate General (AG) P.S. Raman indicated that an additional report would be provided at the next hearing. Petitioner Suryaparakasam also requested that the Court direct the provision of ex gratia payments to the victims.
Additional Advocate General (AAG) J. Ravindran reported that interim compensation had already been given to the victims and assured that final compensation would be distributed as soon as possible. After reviewing all the submissions, the bench emphasized the need for careful handling of the investigation due to its significance and scheduled the next hearing for 19 September 2024.
(With Inputs from DTNext)
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