HC directs police to provide protection to IIT-M students

The Madras High Court today directed the city police to provide protection to students of IIT- Madras, while hearing a plea seeking a proper probe into the recent assault on a research scholar over a beef fest held in the campus here.
When the petition by two IIT-M students, Arjun Jayakumar and K Saminathan, came up before Justice R Mahadevan, he directed Additional Public Prosecutor to get instructions from the state government on the plea.
In an oral order, the judge said all IIT-M students should be given protection.
The petitioners alleged that the police did not conduct proper inquiry into the complaint lodged in connection with the attack on Sooraj, and were trying to project the victims as accused, which is disheartening, illegal and against the principles of natural justice.

The police was simply following the approach of the IIT-M administration and not acting independently, they charged.
Hence, the petitioners sought a direction to appoint an investigating officer not below the rank of DCP, other than Mylapore Range DCP, to investigate the matter.

They claimed that Sooraj, who was allegedly assaulted by Manish Kumar Singh, had undergone an eye surgery which cost around Rs 2.53 lakh.
The petitioners alleged that it was a clear case of premeditated attack by Singh to take revenge on those who organised the beef fest protesting the Centre's notification banning the sale of cattle for slaughter in the animal market.

The petitioners alleged that Singh had a history of bullying fellow students and had conspired to attack them.
Sooraj was allegedly attacked by some students of the institute on May 30 for participating in the beef fest held by a group of students of the institute, on May 28.