The mother of a 26-year-old woman who committed suicide after she was sexually assaulted, allegedly by some police personnel, has moved the Madras High Court, seeking a CBI investigation. She has also sought interim compensation of Rs.5 lakh. In the petition filed through counsel M. Pari, B. Padmavathi of repatriated Indian refugee camp at Rayanoor in Karur stated that she and her daughter were repatriated Indians from Sri Lanka.
On March 7, the police personnel came to the house of her daughter at the refugee camp and informed her that her husband, who had been arrested in a murder case and was in jail, wanted to meet her.
The petitioner and her daughter were taken in a police van without following the law and the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the D.K. Basu case. They were taken to an unknown place at Karur. Her daughter was taken away by the police personnel to a faraway building.
Later, the woman and her daughter were dropped at the Rayanoor camp. The same day her daughter set herself on fire and died after 20 days. She came to know that her daughter took the extreme step in the wake of sexual assault by three police personnel.
Ms. Padmavathi said no FIR was registered on the dying declaration. No investigation was conducted. She sent several complaints to the higher authorities, but no action was taken.
Justice K. Suguna ordered notice.
