COIMBATORE: In a shocking incident near Thudiyalur in Coimbatore city, a 17-year-old minor boy allegedly attempted to sexually assault a mentally-ill woman sitting by the roadside early on Thursday, but was chased away by stray dogs. CCTV footage of the incident has now gone viral. The minor was arrested the same day and further investigation is under way.
Earlier, Thudiyalur police had received a complaint that miscreants had set fire to a petty shop in NGGO Colony in Ashokapuram. It was when they were examining CCTV footage from the area regarding this complaint, police stumbled upon footage of the boy attempting to assault the woman.
According to police, early in the morning, a mentally-ill woman from the locality was sitting by the roadside near two stray dogs along the service road of the railway overbridge. A boy, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, approached her. CCTV footage showed the youth talking to her, then picking up a stone and attempting the chase away the dogs, but they kept at a short distance and barked at him.
As the dogs moved away, the youth attempted to sexually assault the woman, police said. Shocked, the woman screamed for help and the two strays pounced on him, biting his legs and pulling him away. The youth then fled the spot with one of the strays chasing after him, police added.
Based on the footage, the boy was identified and arrested later on Thursday. Further inquiry is on, police said.