Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday directed police officials to register cases related to sexual crimes immediately, expedite investigations and ensure strict punishment for those accused of heinous crimes against women and children.
The directions were issued during a high-level review meeting on law and order held at the Secretariat in Chennai, in the wake of the alleged sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore’s Sollur area, which sparked widespread outrage across the state.
According to an official statement, Vijay stressed that cases related to sexual crimes must be dealt with quickly and prosecuted effectively so that the stringent punishment imposed on the accused acts as a deterrent against future crimes.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister directed the officials, saying, “Sexual assault cases should be tried expeditiously and the perpetrators should be given strict punishment by properly managing the case to act as a deterrent to others.”
The review meeting also comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu under the TVK government. Parties, including the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have targeted the government over a series of murders and crimes against women reported in recent months.
Vijay instructed the Public Prosecutor’s Office to coordinate with the authorities to expedite prosecutions in such cases and focus on preventive measures and awareness campaigns related to crimes against women and children. The meeting was attended by officers from the Police Department, Social Welfare Department and the Public Defender’s Office.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke on phone to the family of the Coimbatore victim and assured them that justice would be served.
Two men, including someone known to the victim, have been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault and murder of the child.
Those present in the meeting included Chief Secretary M Sikumar, Home Minister K Manivasan, Solicitor General Vijay Narayan, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister Maryam Pallavi Baldev and Director General of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore. Senior police officials, including Additional Director General of Police Maheshwar Dayal and Additional Director General of Police Anita Hussain, were also present at the review meeting.
