Sexual assault at fake NCC camps | Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu government to pay ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to two schoolgirls

Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice P.B. Balaji also order payment of ₹1 lakh each to other victims of sexual assault

The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to pay an ex gratia amount of ₹5 lakh each to two schoolgirls who had been subjected to penetrative sexual assault and ₹1 lakh each to all others who were sexually abused at fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camps at private schools in Bargur, Krishnagiri and Tiruchengode in August this year.

First Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) D. Krishnakumar and Justice P.B. Balaji ordered that the entire ex gratia amount be deposited before the Krishnagiri Mahila court within four weeks. On such deposit, the victims’ families could file an appropriate application with the assistance of the district legal services authority for withdrawal of the amount, the judges said.

They also gave liberty to the State government to recover the amount from the school management concerned. The interim orders were passed on a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam seeking a CBI probe into the shocking incidents of over 20 schoolchildren having been sexually abused at the fake NCC camps.

Advocate-General P.S. Raman told the court that so far, three FIRs had been registered with respect to the incidents and 20 people were arrested. The prime suspect, A. Sivaraman, the brain behind the fake camps, had died by suicide while being treated at a hospital during his judicial custody. An inquiry by a judicial magistrate was on with respect to his death, the A-G said.

Mr. Suryaprakasam said the prime suspect had died on August 23. A day earlier, his father Ashok Kumar too had died after reportedly falling from his moped. Their deaths appeared to be mysterious, he added.

He questioned the prosecution’s claim of the suspect having hidden poisonous substance in his undergarments. He wondered how can a patient in a hospital be able to pass stools and urine with poisonous substance in his undergarments.

After hearing both sides at length, the judges asked the A-G to make sure that the police files a detailed status report on the steps taken so far to investigate the case effectively and serve a copy of the report to the petitioner too before the next hearing of the case on September 30. They also called for a report from the judicial magistrate with respect to the ongoing inquiry regarding the death in judicial custody.

In the meantime, the State government was directed to take steps for paying the ex-gratia amount to the victim girls. When the government could pay ₹10 lakh each to the families of 68 people who had died in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy by consuming spurious liquor, it should also pay a reasonable compensation to the minor victims of sexual assault, the ACJ said.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).

Published - September 20, 2024 12:31 am IST