Special Public Prosecutor of the Mahila Court, Perambalur, D. Chitra, has been terminated from service by the State government following a request made to that effect by the District Collector last month.
The Collector, V. Santha, had pointed out that all the 10 cases disposed of in the previous month had ended in the acquittal of the accused. The termination order had been served on the Special Public Prosecutor and a suitable arrangement had been made for handing over her charge, the Collector told The Hindu.
String of acquittals
A review by the district police of POCSO cases that had ended in acquittal revealed that the outcome was on account of victims turning hostile in all the cases. The Special Public Prosecutor was found to have tutored the victims to support the accused, the termination order stated. In one instance, the grandmother of a child had complained that the Special Public Prosecutor had told her over the phone to withdraw a POCSO case registered at the the All Women Police Station, Perambalur, and threatened that the accused would murder her if she deposed against him.
In another case registered under the POCSO Act and Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in Arumbavur police station, the Special Public Prosecutor had a telephonic conversation with the victim for 30 minutes on October 9, 2018, asking her to turn hostile while deposing in the Mahila Court the next day.
Ms. Chitra had even shown sympathy towards the accused to the extent of suggesting a marriage alliance. The victim had followed her instruction, but on further enquiry, the girl had disclosed that she had acted as directed, and also produced an audio recording of their conversation.
The order said the Superintendent of Police had lost faith in the SPP and called for immediate action.
