The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday, April 2, directed a trial court to expedite proceedings in the sexual assault and murder case of a 17-year-old girl in Vilathikulam, Thoothukudi district, after the state informed that the final report had been filed.
A division bench comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and M Jothiraman also ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay an additional interim compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family, over and above the Rs 5 lakh already disbursed.
The directions came while disposing of a public interest litigation filed by advocate K Mareeshwari, who had sought a CBI probe, enhanced compensation, and a court-monitored investigation into the case.
According to The Times of India, the State informed that disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated against personnel of Vilathikulam All Women Police Station and a special sub-inspector from Kulathur police station for delay in registering the FIR on the missing complaint.
The bench further directed the State to appoint a special public prosecutor with expertise in handling such cases within a week. It also asked the investigating officer to file a supplementary chargesheet within 15 days.
The High Court noted that the question of final compensation would be decided by the trial court at the time of disposal of the case.
The case pertains to the murder of a Class XII student who went missing on March 10 and was found dead the following day near her residence in Thoothukudi district. Police registered a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.
The accused, identified as 38-year-old Dharma Muneeswaran from Ramanathapuram district, has been arrested. He was previously convicted in a 2020 rape and murder case in Thoothukudi and was out on bail after the High Court suspended his sentence in December 2025.