NCW takes cognisance after minor girl gang-raped in Tamil Nadu, seeks police report

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The National Commission for Women on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the "horrific gang rape" of a minor girl in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district, and sought a detailed action taken report from police in 5 days. The commission said the "brutal assault on a 15-year-old girl in Cheyyar has raised grave concerns about the safety and security of young girls" and highlighted the urgent need for stronger preventive and protective mechanisms against such heinous crimes. (PTI file photo)The commission said the "brutal assault on a 15-year-old girl in Cheyyar has raised grave concerns about the safety and security of young girls" and highlighted the urgent need for stronger preventive and protective mechanisms against such heinous crimes. "The Commission has strongly condemned this barbaric act, stating that violence against minor girls is a gross violation of human rights and leaves deep physical, emotional, and psychological scars on the survivor. Such incidents demand immediate accountability and the strictest legal action," the NCW said in a post on the social media platform 'X.' The commission chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has directed the Tamil Nadu DGP to ensure prompt registration of FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, and immediately arrest all the accused, initiate a fair and time-bound investigation, and facilitate comprehensive medical, counseling, rehabilitation, and protection support for the survivor and her family. A detailed action taken report has been sought within 5 days from the police. A police official said the Brahmadesam police have registered a case under POCSO Act on Tuesday and that three persons were being questioned in connection with the case. Police were examining CCTV footages to trace the culprits, he added. The girl, who hailed from Kancheepuram district was staying at her grandmother's house in Cheyyar. She has been admitted to the Kancheepuram government hospital. The AIADMK and BJP on Tuesday blamed the DMK government for the increasing 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 5 years of DMK rule that I did not talk about law and order, women's safety, and drug trafficking." Targeting the ruling DMK dispensation, he said on 'X' that if the government really cared about the people, then it would have protected women. "I will eradicate the drug trade that disrupts law and order in just three months after the AIADMK comes to power," he said. BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said on 'X' that the incident exposed the "failure and administrative incompetence of the DMK government" and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits responsible for the crime and ensure stringent punishment for them.