The Madras High Court has directed the Krishnagiri Collector to pay Rs. 20,000 as an ad hoc sum to the father of a differently-abled girl who was sexually assaulted by four persons in the district last month. The sum is not compensation. It is to enable the father, an agricultural worker, to handle the present crisis, the court ordered.
It also directed the Inspector, All Women Police Station of Denkanikotta, to shift all the accused involved in the case from the Hosur Sub-Jail, where they had been lodged, to the Salem Central Prison within a week. This was to ensure there was no interference by any person in the victim’s family. The victim should be examined by a lady doctor of the Dharmapuri Headquarters Hospital.
Justice T.S. Sivagnanam passed the interim order on a petition by the girl’s father. The petitioner submitted that his daughter suffered from speech and hearing impairment. On December 25, four persons waylaid her, hit her on the head and raped her. The girl had identified the perpetrators of the crime. The police registered the FIR only a week later.
On January 21, the Judge had said that the local police had not conducted the investigation in the right direction. He directed the Inspector, All Women Police Station, Denkanikotta, to show cause as to why the case should not be transferred to some other agency.
