In a recent development in the Pollachi sexual assault case, the women’s court in Coimbatore on May 13 sentenced all nine accused to life imprisonment till death. The court has also ordered compensation of Rs 85 lakh to the affected women.
Earlier, the court found the accused guilty on all eight charges. The accused were identified as K. Thirunavukkarasu (34), N. Rishwanth, alias Sabarirajan (32), M. Sathish (33), T. Vasantha Kumar (30), R. Manivannan (32), Haron Paul (32), P. Babu, alias Bike Babu (33), K. Arulanandham (39), and M. Arunkumar.
All those facing the charges have been accused of criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, and extortion, in the series of incidents including blackmail that happened between 2016 and 2018.
Surendra Mohan, the special public prosecutor appearing for CBI cases, said that the defendants’ counsel had sought leniency in sentencing, citing the defendants’ age and family backgrounds.
While addressing the press following the verdict he said that they have appealed the court to punish all the accused severely for this grave crime. Under Section 376D of the IPC, the accused can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years, he further added.
On Tuesday morning, A total of eight victims appeared and testified against the accused in the case. “All 48 witnesses appeared before the court and gave their testimony against the accused.
Details of the Case?
A charge sheet was filed in the Coimbatore Women’s Court on May 21, 2019, based on a complaint filed by a 19-year-old victim on February 24, 2019. However, procedural delays necessitated intervention by the Madras High Court, which directed that the matter be transferred to the Integrated Court Complex in Coimbatore for a dedicated courtroom setup.
Following the completion of prosecution and defense arguments, the court announced its verdict on Tuesday.
A huge crowd gathered at the Coimbatore Court Complex during the announcement of the verdict. Family members of the accused were present on the campus.
Earlier, the accused were brought to the court from Salem Central Prison with full security arrangements at 8:30 a.m. Members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association gathered on the court premises and raised slogans in support of the judgment.
About the Pollachi Sexual Assault Case?
The Pollachi sexual assault was a shocking case that once sent shockwaves in Tamil Nadu in 2019. The case involved several men involved in sexual exploitation and blackmailing of multiple women for several years by using videos to coerce victims into further exploitation.
The Pollachi sexual assault case was a disturbing incident that took place between 2016 and 2018 in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, where a group of men systematically targeted young women, mostly college students, by luring them into private spaces, sexually assaulting them, and recording videos to blackmail them into silence and submission. The case was exposed in 2019, triggering statewide protests and demands for stronger laws to protect women from similar crimes. Initially investigated by the Pollachi police, it was later transferred to the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-CID and subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to the severity and complexity of the crimes.