Pollachi sexual harassment case: HC refuses to interfere

The Madras High Court Thursday declined to order a court-monitored CBI probe into the Pollachi sexual harassment case, citing the Tamil Nadu government order transferring the sensational case to the central investigating agency.

A group of women lawyers made an urgent mention before the first bench of Chief Justice VK Tahilramani and Justice M Duraiswamy, requesting the court to take suo motu cognisance of the incident, which has created outrage, and order a court-monitored CBI probe.

Pointing out that the state government has already decided to transfer the case to CBI, the bench refused to interfere.

The lawyers sought the court's intervention in view of the sensitivity of the issue and to ensure a free and fair investigation.

After assigning the case pertaining to the sexual harassment of a 19-year-old woman by a gang in the Coimbatore district to the CB-CID on March 12, the state government has issued an order for a CBI probe in the wake of allegations that several other woman had been assaulted.

The gang of four men had on February 12 allegedly tried to strip the woman inside a car near Pollachi, over 500 km from here, and had recorded the act and blackmailed her using the visuals.

The victim, who managed to free herself, lodged a complaint with the police on February 24.

The case assumed political overtones since a local functionary of ruling AIADMK allegedly attacked the victim's brother.