Anna University sexual assault case being politicised without genuine concern, says Madras HC judge

Justice P. Velmurugan of the Madras High Court on Thursday (January 2, 2025) expressed deep anguish over the Anna University sexual assault case, and said that instead of it serving as a wake-up call to introspect why society as a whole continued to subjugate women and unleash atrocities against them, it was merely being politicised.

Justice P. Velmurugan of the Madras High Court on Thursday (January 2, 2025) expressed deep anguish over the Anna University sexual assault case, and said that instead of it serving as a wake-up call to introspect why society as a whole continued to subjugate women and unleash atrocities against them, the incident was being politicised with no real concern.

The judge spoke his mind when Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) advocate K. Balu made a mention of the State police having denied permission for a protest over the issue by the party’s women’s wing. The judge said that protests by political parties were aimed merely at attracting media attention and not done out of genuine concern.

Justice Velmurugan said the media too had not acted responsibly on the matter and that a “media trial” was being conducted on news television channels ever since the incident came to light last month. “I’m not saying that media should not report on the issue but definitely not the way in which they are doing,” he said.

Making it clear that he was not expressing his anguish as a judge of the High Court but as a human being, Justice Velmurugan said: “I’m ashamed to live in this era when discrimination based on gender, caste, and so on continues. All of us should be ashamed. Strictly speaking, we all are co-accused in such crimes.”

When Mr. Balu tried to explain that the PMK’s protest was aimed at “protecting women”, the judge replied: “The use of the word ‘protection’ itself is wrong. It only signifies that we have not given equal rights to our mothers, sisters, and daughters. They are still kept under our protection. This mindset should change.”

The judge also asked the government counsel not to “open his mouth” when the latter wanted to make his submissions. “If I turn to your side, things will be different. Don’t provoke me. We all must feel ashamed, collectively, to witness incidents such as sexual assault against women even in this century.”

Pointing out that a Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and V. Lakshminarayanan had already constituted an all-woman IPS officers’ team to investigate the sexual assault case, Justice Velmurugan said: “If there’s no proper investigation, this court knows how to deal with it too. Conducting protests will not help in any way.”