TIRUPUR: A man, who offered to help a pregnant woman by taking her home on his motorcycle but raped her near Palladam early on Monday, was nabbed by late evening Monday.
According to police, the 19-year-old woman fell in love with and married a hosiery unit worker a year ago. They were staying in Tirupur and the woman was six months pregnant. They quarrelled frequently and after such a tiff on Sunday, she went to her friend’s house in Coimbatore without telling her husband.
She left her friend’s house late at night on Sunday and reached Palladam around 2 am on Monday as she did not get a direct bus to Tirupur. When she tried to hire an auto to return to home, the driver demanded Rs 250. As she did not have enough money, she had no option but to wait at Palladam bus stand. A man, who overheard the talk between the auto driver and the woman, offered for `50 to drop her home on his motorcycle. Believing him, she went on his bike but he took her to a remote place and raped her.
After threatening her, he dropped her home, gave his mobile number and asked her to contact him later. She narrated the incident to her husband. The couple then lodged a complaint with Palladam police. Based on the mobile number, cops identified the accused as Pandiyarajan (26) of Pudukottai, a quarry worker, and arrested him late night of Monday and remanded him. He was booked under Sec 376 for raping and 506(ii) for criminal intimidation.