New Delhi/Chennai, Dec 27 (IANS): The Madras High Court on Friday took suo motu cognizance of the alleged sexual assault of an Anna University student and called for a status report from the Tamil Nadu government. The court is likely to hear the matter on Saturday.

A bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Lakshminarayan decided to take up the issue suo motu (on its own) after a letter petition was addressed to the Madras HC raising safety concerns of women in the state.

In her letter, Varalakshmi demanded that a Special Investigation Committee (SIC) led by a sitting woman judge of the Madras HC should oversee the investigation and ensure adherence to legal protocols.

Alternatively, she prayed to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to guarantee a thorough and impartial investigation free from political or institutional interference.

The horrific incident occurred when the victim, a 19-year-old engineering student at Anna University, and her male friend were sitting in a secluded area of the varsity's campus after attending a midnight Christmas mass at a nearby church. Accused Gnanashekaran allegedly attacked the male friend, brutally assaulting him, before dragging the girl to a nearby shrub and raped her.

The Chennai Police have faced severe criticism for the lapse in security.

Authorities had earlier claimed to have implemented comprehensive safety measures for Christmas celebrations, with over 8,000 officers deployed.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai has alleged that the accused, Gnanashekaran, was not included in the police’s rowdy list despite being involved in several criminal cases. He claimed that this omission was due to Gnanashekaran’s close ties with DMK leaders and provided evidence of the accused’s affiliation with the ruling party.

Annamalai also condemned the police for leaking the FIR related to the sexual assault case, which resulted in the identification of the victim. He claimed that the authorities intentionally leaked the details and failed to ensure the safety and anonymity of the survivor.

Annamalai also accused DMK of attempting to divert attention from the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu by promoting a false narrative of a North-South divide.