Madras High Court Slams Police for FIR Leak in Anna University Assault Case

On December 23, a 19-year-old student sitting with her male friend was sexually assaulted by Gnanasekaran, a biryani vendor, at Anna University. Despite filing complaints, the police leaked the FIR, exposing her identity and harming her family.

The court ordered the state of Tamil Nadu to pay an interim compensation of ₹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) made available to the public on the police website.

The court concluded that under Article 21, the FIR itself breached the survivor's right to dignity and bodily autonomy.