Pollachi Sexual Assault Case: Coimbatore Mahila Court Sentences 9 to Life; CM MK Stalin Says ‘Justice Served’ | File Photo
Chennai: Six years ago, Tamil Nadu had woken up to a chilling video clip – a young woman crying in pain and pleading with a man, who was menacingly swinging a belt, not to beat her. “Anna (elder brother), please don’t beat me, I will strip,” the woman on a cot said in a voice that shook and haunted any human with a conscience.
The place was a farm house in Pollachi, a picturesque rural town about 43 kilometres from Coimbatore in western Tamil Nadu, famed for its coconut plantations and lush landscape that had invited many a film maker to shoot love duets. The man was part of a gang that would lure college girls and women, film them inappropriately, and blackmail them into submitting to rape, including gang-rape. The videos of the rape were used to buy their silence.
However, on February 24, 2019, a 19-year-old girl, who was one of the victims, mustered courage with support from family and filed a complaint with the Pollachi East Police Station. The video clips emerged around the same time creating a political uproar, just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. One of the accused belonged to the then ruling AIADMK. The opposition parties claimed hundreds of women were exploited and alleged the son of a local influential ruling politician was involved in the crime.
Under pressure, the then government transferred the probe in the case to the CBI. Nine men were arrested and prosecuted – Sabarirajan, Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish, Vasanthakumar, Manivannan, Babu, Haronimus Paul, Arulanantham and Arunkumar. In all eight victims came forward to lodge complaints.
On Tuesday, the Coimbatore Mahila Court judge Nandhini Devi found all the accused guilty and sentenced each of them to life imprisonment on multiple counts. The accused were charged with multiple offences, including criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, and repeated rape on the same women. The judge also directed the State Government to pay a cumulative compensation of Rs 85 lakh to the eight complainants.
Briefing journalists, CBI Public Prosecutor Surendra Mohan said all the accused have been found guilty also under Section 376 D of the IPC, which provides for rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 20 years, but which may extend to life, “meaning imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, besides a fine”.
Reacting to the verdict, Chief Minister M K Stalin, posted on X, : “Justice has been served for the atrocities committed by criminals including the evil AIADMK functionary! “Let the ‘sirs’ who tried to protect the group comprising an AIADMK culprit bow their heads in shame if they have any dignity!”
However, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami took credit saying it was he who ordered a CBI probe to ensure the case was investigated impartially resulting in due justice being served today. “We don’t have the petty intellect to spread slander for the sake of politics, like the DMK. We have no money in our pockets; we have no fear; so, we transferred this case to the CBI,” he said in his social media post.
