The National Commission for Women on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of the “horrific gang rape” of a minor girl in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu and sought a detailed police report within 5 days.
“The brutal attack on a 15-year-old girl in Chiar has raised serious concerns about the safety and security of young girls,” the committee said, and stressed the urgent need for stronger preventive and protective mechanisms against such heinous crimes.
The National Council for Women said in a post on the “X” social media platform, “The Commission strongly condemned this barbaric act, stressing that violence against underage girls is a blatant violation of human rights and leaves deep physical, emotional, and psychological scars on the survivors. Such incidents require immediate accountability and the most stringent legal measures.”
Committee Chairman Vijaya Rahatkar directed the Tamil Nadu General Police Directorate to ensure immediate registration of FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act and POCSO Act, arrest all the accused immediately, initiate a fair and time-bound investigation, and facilitate comprehensive medical support, counselling, rehabilitation and protection for the survivor and her family.
A detailed report on the action taken has been requested within 5 days from the police.
Brahmadesam police registered a case under the POCSO Act on Tuesday and three people are being questioned in connection with the case, a police official said. He added that the police are examining surveillance camera footage to track down the perpetrators.
The girl, who hails from Kancheepuram district, was staying at her grandmother’s house in Chiar. She was admitted to Kanchipuram Government Hospital.
The AIADMK and the BJP on Tuesday blamed the DMK government for the rise in crimes against girls and women in the state.
Expressing shock over the incident, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “There was not a day in the last five years of DMK rule when I did not talk about law and order, women’s safety and drug trafficking.”
Targeting the ruling DMK’s dispensation, he said on ‘X’ that if the government really cared about the people, it would have protected women. “I will eliminate the drug trade which is disrupting law and order within just three months after the AIADMK comes to power,” he said.
BJP national spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathi said on ‘X’ that the incident exposed the “failure and administrative incompetence of the DMK government” and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits responsible for the crime and ensuring strict punishment for them.
