The Tamil Nadu government hasn't conducted itself with empathy for women in handling the Pollachi sex scandal. Even its gazette notification ordering a CBI probe was flawed, with the girl named after she had suffered indescribable indignities in a leaked video from a mobile phone recording. The fact that the victim was named twice, first by the police, ostensibly in error, and for which an apology of sorts was issued, shows the government was brazenly acting on the premise that the victim could be named as it was not a rape case. The high court didn't hesitate to censure the government and order compensation of at least Rs 25 lakhs. It's debatable, however, if any sum is adequate for what just one victim of a major sex scam targeting women in Pollachi, near Coimbatore, suffered.
Given that elections are nearing, including to at least 18 seats in Tamil Nadu's Assembly, the sex scam has taken on political overtones, with at least one of the four key perpetrators allegedly close to a ruling party leader. A man who accosted the victim's brother for complaining to the police has been removed from the AIADMK. The point is that naming of the victim can be seen as a way to keep hundreds of other women affected in the scandal from registering complaints. This is where the CBI can help by setting up a toll-free number and email ID for victims to come forward and expose the perpetrators. It is the state government's basic duty to ensure that justice prevails for the women horribly wronged in a sustained plot of sexual harassment.
