Chennai: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday formed a fact-finding committee to probe the alleged sexual assault of a 19-year-old student at Chennai’s Anna University. The committee was constituted on the directions of NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar.

The fact-finding committee will comprise Mamta Kumari and former Maharashtra DGP Praveen Dixit, reported News 18. The NCW panel will meet authorities, the survivor and her family. The committee members are likely to visit Chennai on Monday, December 30.

Meanwhile, the Madras high court on Saturday ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the incident. The bench of justices SM Subramaniam and V Lakshminarayan also directed the Tamil Nadu government to pay an interim compensation of ₹Rs 25 lakh to the survivor for the serious lapse on the part of the police in revealing her details in the first information report (FIR), reported Bar and Bench.

Notably, the FIR was reportedly published on the website of the state police. The court also asked the police to provide protection to the survivor and her family. The girl is a student of an engineering college.

The incident took place on Monday, December 23 when the girl was sitting with her male friend. The accused was identified as 37-year-old Gnanasekaran. He is a resident of the Kottur area near the college and is reportedly a biryani vendor. He was arrested on December 25. The accused also filmed the case and threatened her.

The girl’s male friend was allegedly thrashed by the accused.

Opposition parties in the state – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIADMK – hit out at the ruling DMK party over the incident. The saffron party alleged that the accused was an officer-bearer of the DMK. As per the police, Gnanasekaran is a “history-sheeter”.

Tamil Nadu’s Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian slammed the Opposition for staging protests against the state government. He alleged that opposition parties were politicising the incident. Chezhian asked female students to ‘Kaaval Uthavi’ app so that they contact the police immediately when in need.

Hitting out at Opposition parties for targeting the DMK government over the incident, case, the minister said, “Those who want to politicise this incident in which an individual student was victimised should note that in the Pollachi sexual assault incident during the previous regime, the victims were afraid to even file a complaint with the police due to pressure from the then ruling government,” the minister said in his X post.

He also assured that the culprits would be brought to justice very soon.

Imphal, Dec 28: At least four persons including a TV Journalist and a security personnel were injured after suspected militants fired in Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages in Imphal East district on Saturday, officials said.

A police official said that the militants fired indiscriminately at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages from the hilltop injuring a local TV Journalist, a security personnel and two civilians.

TV Journalist L. Kabichandra sustained bullet injuries on his left thigh.

All the injured were rushed to the hospital.

“The militants fired in the Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi villages on Friday night and Saturday morning. These villages are situated in Imphal East district adjoining tribal inhabited Kangpokpi district,” the official said.

Additional security forces led by senior police officials have rushed to the areas and launched search operations to nab the militants.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday strongly condemned the indiscriminate firing by militants in Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi areas.

Singh, in a post on X, said, “Strongly condemn the indiscriminate firing by Kuki militants at Sanasabi and Thamnapokpi in Imphal East, which injured civilians and security personnel.

This cowardly and unprovoked attack on innocent lives is an assault on peace and harmony.

Adequate security personnel have been rushed to the affected areas. The injured are receiving necessary medical assistance, and the government calls for calm and unity in the face of such challenges.”

Central forces and state police should have proper coordination and understanding when dealing with such situations, the chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, search operations and area domination were conducted by the Central and state security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.

Movement of vehicles carrying essential items, food grains and transport fuel along the two vital National Highways — NH-37 and NH-2 — has been ensured with adequate security.

Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations and security convoys are provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles.

In a separate incident, seven acres of illegal poppy cultivation were destroyed by a combined team of security forces and forest department officials at T. Lhanghoimol areas in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Friday.

Beed (Maharashtra), Dec 28: Various Opposition parties, social groups and non-government organisations in Maharashtra on Saturday took out a massive ‘silent procession’ to protest the murder of Massajog village Sarpanch, Santosh Pandit Deshmukh.

Deshmukh, 45, was kidnapped, brutally tortured and then killed near a windmill company because he was attempting to stop an extortion racket. His killing has sparked a massive political furore in Maharashtra.

Sporting black masks or arm bands, carrying banners, placards and photos of Deshmukh, top leaders of various parties joined several thousands, including many women and youth for the silent march.

The silent march began from a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and ended at the Beed Collectorate offices.

Among the participants were members of the bereaved Sarpanch’s family, comprising his widow, teen daughter Vaibhavi, brother, sister and hundreds of villagers supporting them.

Besides, there were Maharashtra Swarajya Party President Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) General Secretary and Mumbra-Kalwa (Thane) MLA Dr. Jitendra Awhad, NCP (SP) Beed MP Bajrang M. Sonawane, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ashthi MLA Suresh, Maratha leader and Shivba Sanghatana head Manoj Jarange-Patil, anti-graft crusader Anjali Damania, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, and local activists.

The posters-placards carried slogans demanding “justice for Deshmukh”, and arrest of the prime absconder-suspect Walmik Karad and two more, booking the mastermind/s behind the gruesome killing including a prominent ruling MahaYuti ally Nationalist Congress Party minister, plus others.

Deshmukh’s killing shot into national headlines with top leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) calling on the Deshmukh family, offering solace and assuring that they would take up the issue with the Maharashtra and central governments, even as it was raised in the Assembly last week, and the government promised strict action.

Simultaneously, parts of Beed town and the Massajog village observed a spontaneous shutdown as the locals kept all business establishments, schools, colleges and other private offices shut to join the silent march.

The Marathi Kranti Thok Morcha has demanded that the Deshmukh murder case should be investigated on priority and the trial assigned to a fast-track court in Mumbai (instead of Beed) for transparency, ensuring the maximum punishment for all the accused, invoking the anti-corruption Act, etc.