COIMBATORE: The investigation of the sexual harassment of the 19-year-old girl in Pollachi has led to CB-CID sleuths identifying over 10 women harassed by the same gang. The case has now been altered to include rape, based on evidence obtained against suspects.
CB-CID officials said that the section for rape (376 of Indian Penal Code) was added to the case based on proof collected in the form of videos, confession from suspects and oral statements provided by victims identified during the investigation.
They plan to reach out to the victims again and get complaints to make the case stronger. According to a senior official, the victim(s) were believed to have been raped based on the statements by one of the suspects during the custodial investigation.
Along with this statement, they had other evidence to confirm the suspicion, the official said.
Initially, the case was registered by Pollachi Town police based on a complaint from the 19-year-old girl under Sections 354 (A) (punishment for sexual harassment) and 354 (B) of the IPC, Section 66 (E) of the IT Act and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act on February 24.