Accused Only DMK Supporter, Not Member, says Stalin

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin described the accused in the Anna University sexual assault case as a ‘supporter’ of the DMK and not a member unlike Sudhakar, an office-bearer of the AIADMK who had been now arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in Chennai’s Annanagar in August last year.

In his reply on the floor of the Assembly to the members who raised the Annanagar case, Stalin said Sudhakar and a woman police inspector Raji were arrested on Tuesday based on the probe conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising police officers from the State, appointed by the Supreme Court.

The case was that the 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and a complaint was filed with the Annanagar All-women police station, which investigated the case, he said. Apart from arresting a minor relative, the personnel of the police station were accused of ill-treating the parents of the child. The police also did not arrest a person by the name of Sathish, it was charged.

So the case was shifted to the Koyambedu All-women police station, where investigations were conducted and Sathish was arrested, after which the Madras High Court handed over the case to the CBI.

In the appeal by the police against the transfer of the case to CBI, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no need for a CBI enquiry and appointed the three-member SIT that investigated the case and found the AIADMK functionary and the police inspector guilty in the case, Stalin said.

Both Sudhakar and Raji were arrested and remanded to judicial custody, the Chief Minister said, adding that the government would not spare anyone, whichever party they belonged to and whoever they were, accused of any crime against women.

Even if the suspects belonged to the police department, the government was only concerned about women safety, he said, urging the Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami not to find fault with the government that had been acting honestly and fairly by taking stringent action against crimes but lend their cooperation to the government in ensuring women’s safety.