A two-member delegation of the National Commission of Women (NCW) arrived at Anna University in Chennai to investigate the sexual assault of a 19-year-old student that occurred on the campus.

The fact-finding committee was formed on Saturday after the NCW took note of the case, based on news reports and social media posts.

The committee, consisting of NCW member Mamata Kumari and former Maharashtra Director General of Police Praveen Dixit, arrived in the city on Sunday evening.

The two-member committee will look into the circumstances that led to the crime and appraise the measures taken by the authorities concerned. It will also interrogate the officials concerned, and interact with the victim, her family and friends, and various NGOs to ascertain the facts. The team will also propose measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

In a statement released on Thursday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) condemned the attack in the strongest terms, pledging its support for the victim’s fight for justice.

The women’s panel also raised serious concerns over the access Gnanasekharan, the 37-year-old accused in the case, had to the campus.

The Commission highlighted that the accused was a habitual offender, with previous complaints filed against him. “Tamil Nadu Police’s failure to act on these cases emboldened him to commit this heinous crime, prompting questions about the state of law and order in Tamil Nadu,” claimed the NCW. 

Source: India Today