Pollachi Sexual Abuse Case: Confessions by affected women led to new arrests?
Coimbatore: In a major development in the Pollachi sexual assault and abuse case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested three men including a AIADMK functionary.
The trio were produced at Mahila Court here and Justice Nandinidevi then remanded K. Arulanantham (34) AIADMK Pollachi Town Students’ Wing Secretary from Vadugampalayam, Haron Paul (29) of Achipatty and P. Babu alias ‘Bike’ Babu (27), under judicial custody till January 20.
Earlier, in connection with the case, five accused from Pollachi -- K. Thirunavukkarasu (28), N. Rishwanth alias Sabarirajan (26), M. Sathish (30), T. Vasanthakumar (25) and R. Manivannan (31), were arrested and remanded.
The arrests were made after a 19-year-old girl confessed regarding alleged sexual assault on her. Further investigations revealed that the accused had filmed and threatened the girl. Following investigations and video clips of men sexually assaulting girls were leaked, Pollachi Policearrested Thirunavukkarasu, Rishwanth, Sathish and Vasanthakumar.
Allegations were rife that the gang were involved in sexually harrassing several women and videotaped the act for blackmailing them. After the case was handed over to CBCID, the fifth accused Manivannan was arrested.
Later, the case was handed over to CBI in April 2019 and a charge sheet was filed against all five accused.
Hundreds of women were allegedly reported to have abused and videotaped by the gang. Owing to fear of being exposed the affected women refrained from approaching the police and testify.
During CBI investigation, sources say that some affected women have testified about the horrendous incident after CBI have been able to maintain privacy and crack the culprits. Based on their allegations and further investigations, the CBI have foundArulanantham, Haron Paul and Babu to have involved in the vile act and arrested them.
Women support organisations and general public opine that if more affected women come forward to testify the violence meted on them, every single culprit involved in the case can be punished by the law.
The trio were produced at Mahila Court here and Justice Nandinidevi then remanded K. Arulanantham (34) AIADMK Pollachi Town Students’ Wing Secretary from Vadugampalayam, Haron Paul (29) of Achipatty and P. Babu alias ‘Bike’ Babu (27), under judicial custody till January 20.
Earlier, in connection with the case, five accused from Pollachi -- K. Thirunavukkarasu (28), N. Rishwanth alias Sabarirajan (26), M. Sathish (30), T. Vasanthakumar (25) and R. Manivannan (31), were arrested and remanded.
The arrests were made after a 19-year-old girl confessed regarding alleged sexual assault on her. Further investigations revealed that the accused had filmed and threatened the girl. Following investigations and video clips of men sexually assaulting girls were leaked, Pollachi Policearrested Thirunavukkarasu, Rishwanth, Sathish and Vasanthakumar.
Allegations were rife that the gang were involved in sexually harrassing several women and videotaped the act for blackmailing them. After the case was handed over to CBCID, the fifth accused Manivannan was arrested.
Later, the case was handed over to CBI in April 2019 and a charge sheet was filed against all five accused.
Hundreds of women were allegedly reported to have abused and videotaped by the gang. Owing to fear of being exposed the affected women refrained from approaching the police and testify.
During CBI investigation, sources say that some affected women have testified about the horrendous incident after CBI have been able to maintain privacy and crack the culprits. Based on their allegations and further investigations, the CBI have foundArulanantham, Haron Paul and Babu to have involved in the vile act and arrested them.
Women support organisations and general public opine that if more affected women come forward to testify the violence meted on them, every single culprit involved in the case can be punished by the law.