COIMBATORE: City police arrested seven college students under the Pocso Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl. The suspects, all aged 19 and 20, are students of a private college in Kuniyamuthur. The survivor is a 17-year-old school dropout living in Ukkadam.
Police said on the evening of February 16, the girl left home telling her parents she was going to visit her grandmother who lives nearby. However, when she failed to show up there, her parents lodged a complaint with the Bazaar police. When the girl returned home the next morning, she revealed to her parents she had been sexually assaulted by seven youngsters.
“One of the suspects had got acquainted with the girl through social media. He invited her to his room in Kuniyamuthur on February 16, where six other students — hailing from Krishnagiri, Chennai, Viruthunagar and Dindigul — were staying. She went to his room and was sexually assaulted by the gang,” police said.
Following inquiry, the suspects were arrested under sections 5, 6, 9 and 10 of the Pocso Act on Tuesday and remanded in judicial custody. The girl was sent to CMCH for a medical examination and then home.
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a post on X, said, “The news that a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by seven people in Coimbatore is shocking. It is very painful that Tamil Nadu is turning into an unsafe state for girls under the Stalin-model DMK regime.”
BJP chief K Annamalai linked the rise of such incidents in the state to increasing drug abuse among youth. DMK’s ally CPM urged the government to take stronger measures against the sale of narcotics and reduce the number of Tasmac outlets in TN to curb such crimes. PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss also urged the government to take strict legal action against the accused.
Asst HM of govt school held for harassing 5 girls
Pudukkottai: An assistant headmaster of a government high school in Othappuli near Arimalam of the district was arrested on Monday for allegedly sexually harassing five girl students. The suspect, Perumal (58), taught English to students of classes 9 and 10 at the institution, which has over 350 students.
Based on a complaint lodged via the Childline helpline by Class 10 students of the school on February 10, the district child welfare committee and Ponnamaravathi DSP Kumar initiated an inquiry into the incident. Following this, the Thirumayam all-women police registered a case under the Pocso Act and arrested Perumal.
The police interrogated him till late Monday before taking him to the Pudukkottai GH after he complained of chest pain. He will be remanded in custody once he recovers, sources said.