SC forms SIT to probe 'objectively and fairly' Chennai minor's rape

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Monday constituted a three-member SIT, comprising DIG-rank IPS officer Saroj Kumar Thakur and women IPS officers Ayman Jamal and S Brinda, to "objectively and fairly" investigate on a day-to-day basis the September 29 sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl at Anna Nagar in Chennai.

From among nine IPS officers, including three women of Tamil Nadu cadre but belonging to other states, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan picked the three based on seniority and constituted the SIT while modifying that part of Madras HC's October 1 order by which the probe was entrusted to CBI. Tamil Nadu had challenged the HC order for a CBI probe before SC.

The bench said if the probe gets entrusted to CBI, no one will know what the outcome was even after five to seven years. "It is better to constitute an SIT and let the HC monitor the progress," it said. While Thakur is joint commissioner of police (east), Greater Chennai, Jamal is deputy commissioner of police, Avadi (law and order), and Brinda is deputy commissioner of police, Salem. SC directed Tamil Nadu govt and the DGP to partly relieve these officers from other responsibilities to complete the task entrusted to them. Ordering continuance of investigation on a day-to-day basis, the bench asked the SIT to submit a probe progress report to the Madras HC on a weekly basis.

The bench requested Madras HC chief justice to constitute an appropriate bench that would take stock of the periodic probe status reports.

Appearing for the state, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi requested SC to peruse the first probe status report, and thereafter, entrust HC with monitoring of investigation. But, SC declined.

Rohatgi also said opposition is making political statements over the sexual assault of a minor and requested the court to make suitable observations to restrain them from politicising the case.

The bench asked state to ignore political statements on the case and said if we say anything, there will be numerous clarifications as to how their statements were distorted.

The rape survivor's mother was present in SC courtroom along with her lawyer R Sampath Kumar during the proceedings. SC directed the Tamil Nadu govt to pay her litigation and miscellaneous cost of Rs 75,000 within a week. On October 1, Madras high court had ordered CBI probe into the case, saying though a 10-year-old girl was repeatedly raped, police harassed the parents and arrested the prime suspect after 12 days.


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