RAMANATHAPURAM: The Mahila Fast Track Court in Ramanathapuram on Saturday sentenced three men to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment for abducting and gang raping a 22-year-old woman near Mookaiyur beach in 2022 and robbing the victims at gunpoint.
According to police, a case was registered at Sayalkudi police station based on a complaint filed by the survivor’s 19-year-old friend from Aruppukottai. The incident took place on March 23, 2022, when the couple had travelled to Mookaiyur beach near Sayalkudi. Police said the accused — Padmaswaran (26), Dinesh Kumar (26), and Ajith Kumar (22) — approached the couple with machetes and threatened them before dragging them into a nearby casuarina grove. The men allegedly assaulted the couple, tied the complainant’s hands using the survivor’s shawl, and sexually assaulted the woman in turns while threatening them with consequences if they revealed the incident.
The accused also allegedly robbed the victims of gold and silver ornaments, mobile phones, an ATM card, and cash before fleeing the spot.
Police said the victims later returned separately to Aruppukottai and consumed poison, fearing social humiliation. They were rescued and admitted to the hospital, where police recorded the complainant’s statement and registered the case on March 31, 2022.
During the trial, the prosecution examined 39 witnesses and produced material evidence before the court. After hearing arguments, Judge Kavitha of the Mahila Fast Track Court convicted the three accused under various IPC provisions, including Section 376(D) for gang rape.
The court sentenced the trio to 30 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 each for the gang rape charge. Separate prison terms were also awarded under Sections 342, 355, 397, and 506(2) of the IPC and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
Another accused, Villammal, mother of Padmaswaran, was convicted under IPC Section 414 for possessing the stolen jewels and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000.