No proof for four Irula women rape

CHENNAI: The offence of raping four Irula women in Tirukovilur in Villupuram district on Novemebr 22 last year is not made out, the Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) stated in their counter-affidavits filed in the Madras High Court, on Monday.The counters were filed separately in response to a public interest writ petition from advocate P Pugalenthi, also director of Prisoner’s Rights Forum, seeking to punish the police personnel involved in the crime and to pay adequate compensation to the four rape victims.While the Home Secretary, based on the repots of the medical officer and the investigating officer in the case, said that the offence of rape was not made out, the Director General of Police  said that on a perusal and careful analysis of the documents, he was of the opinion that there were no evidence of forceful physical restraint on the body of the four women and that there were no evidence for forceful sexual intercourse in any of the four alleged victims.The counters, however, admitted that the police team had been at fault in taking the women and children into custody when they were actually not wanted in any criminal case and the action of taking the women and children at night was also unwarranted.However, the accused personnel were suspended from service and a total compensation of Rs 5 lakh each was given to the victims. The inquiry of the judicial magistrate was going on and the findings were awaited.The government would conclude its views once the findings of the judicial inquiry were available, the counters added.The first bench comprising Chief Justice MY Eqbal and Justice TS Sivagnanam said that before they could consider the counter-affidavits and pass orders, they wanted to know the reaction/reply of the petitioner. Following a request from petitioner’s counsel, the bench  adjourned the matter by three weeks.