COIMBATORE: Coimbatore police on Tuesday filed a 50-page charge sheet before the Additional Mahila Court in connection with the sexual assault of a college student near the Coimbatore airport.
The charge sheet was submitted before Judge Sindhu, naming Karuppasamy as the first accused, his brother Kaleeswaran as the second and Thavasi as the third accused. It details the sequence of the crime, evidence collected, witness statements and other key findings.
On November 4, Chief Minister M K Stalin, on the Assembly floor, had condemned the assault and assured that the state police will file the charge sheet within a month and ensure the offenders receive the maximum punishment.
Sources said that this is the preliminary charge sheet filed in the case, and additional charge sheets may follow as the investigation progresses. The three accused, who were earlier lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison, were taken out for an identification, during which the survivor and her male friend, who had sustained injuries, confirmed their identities. A special investigation team led by Peelamedu Inspector Latha, functioning under the supervision of Commissioner Saravana Sundar and Deputy Commissioner Devanathan, is handling the probe.
On Monday, the accused were taken into custody for a day for spot inspection. They were transported to the isolated area behind the airport where the assault took place. They were questioned about the duration they spent at the spot and the motive behind targeting the student. They were produced before the court and remanded again. The accused have been booked under multiple sections of the BNS, including 324 (4), 140 (3), 309 (6) r/w 311, 70 (1), 140 (4), 115 (2), 74, 76, 127 (2), 64 (2) (m), 111 (2) (b) and 111 (4).