The verdict in the Pollachi sexual assault case, in which all the nine accused were sentenced to life-term jail without remission, may provide the eight survivors of the horrendous crime a level of closure. The grisly crime involved physical torture and sexual assault of college students and other women over years by a group of men, and the circulation of lewd videos to intimidate them. The verdict means that perpetrators will spend the remainder of their natural life behind bars. The first FIR was filed in 2019, nearly two years after several women were repeatedly assaulted by the accused, and only after a distraught 19-year-old college girl found the courage to share her story with her brother. The case was transferred to the crime branch’s criminal investigation department, and later to the Central Bureau of Investigation following public outrage over the involvement of two local AIADMK functionaries in the crime and allegations about their link to a senior party leader.
Though many more women were alleged to have been assaulted, only eight came forward to testify. Importantly, none of the 48 witnesses turned hostile during the trial. The prosecuting agency used cyber forensics and morphological comparisons to establish the crime in which most of the evidence were digital in nature. The CBI filed the first charges within three months of taking over the probe, and the court completed the trial in just over two years.
The social stigma associated with crimes against women, particularly in sexual offence cases, and the sluggish legal process usually dissuade survivors from seeking justice—a reality that emboldens criminals. In this case, the fact that only eight women filed complaints when several more could have been affected underscores the need for a robust socio-legal support mechanism that encourages women to fight such heinous crimes.
Between 2022 and 2024, of the cases booked in Tamil Nadu for crimes against women, almost 70 percent pertain to rape, threat of rape, or molestation. In the Hussainara Khatoon case, the Supreme Court had held that the fundamental right to speedy trial is an essential aspect of justice under Article 21, and timely justice is essential for maintaining the rule of law. Quick trials and exemplary punishment are the need of the hour to free women from the fears that fetter them while seeking justice.