Pollachi sexual assault case: All nine convicts sentenced to life imprisonment till death
COIMBATORE: The Mahila court in Coimbatore on May 13, sentenced all the nine accused convicted in the Pollachi sexual assault case to life imprisonment till death.
Judge R Nandhini Devi delivered the verdict in the case in which the first FIR was filed in 2019. The court also awarded Rs 85 lakh compensation to eight survivors in the case.
The accused were identified as K. Thirunavukkarasu (34), N. Rishwanth, alias Sabarirajan (32), M. Sathish (33), T. Vasantha Kumar (30), R. Manivannan (32), Haron Paul (32), P. Babu, alias Bike Babu (33), K. Arulanandham (39), and M. Arunkumar.
The judge awarded varying terms of life imprisonment depending on the number of victims assaulted by each of the accused. In addition to the life terms, the court also awarded separate sentences of 10 years, seven years, and three years under other sections of the law. All sentences will run concurrently. Additionally, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1.50 lakh on the nine convicts.
All the accused were convicted under IPC Sections 34 read with 376D (gang rape), 376(2)(n) (repeated rape), 366 (kidnapping), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-B (use of criminal force to disrobe a woman), 370 (trafficking for sexual exploitation), and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman), as well as Section 4 of the TNPHW Act (abetment of harassment of women), and Sections 66E and 67 of the IT Act (related to the illegal circulation of obscene and private content).
A huge crowd gathered at the Coimbatore Court Complex during the announcement of the verdict. Family members of the accused were present on the campus.
Earlier, the accused were brought to the court from Salem Central Prison with full security arrangements at 8:30 a.m. Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association gathered on the court premises and raised slogans in support of the judgment.
'Leniency in sentence'
V Surendra Mohan, the special public prosecutor appearing for CBI cases, said that the counsel for the defendants had sought leniency in sentencing, citing the age and family backgrounds of the accused.
"We have appealed to the court to punish all the accused severely for this grave crime. Under Section 376D of the IPC, the accused can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years," he said while addressing the press after the verdict.
A total of eight victims appeared and testified against the accused in the case. "All 48 witnesses appeared before the court and gave their testimony against the accused," he added.
A-2 Thirunavukkarasu and A-5 Manivannan received five life imprisonment terms each for assaulting five victims.
A-1 Sabarirajan was awarded four life-jail terms.
A-3 Sathish and A-7 Haronimus Paul got three terms each.
A-4 Vasantha Kumar two terms.
A-6 Babu, A-8 Arulanandham and A-9 Arunkumar received one term of life imprisonment each. Arulanantham is a former AIADMK functionary who was later expelled from the party for his involvement in the crime.
'No witness turned hostile'
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the case from the Tamil Nadu police, filed three charge sheets against the accused after a meticulous and scientific investigation. The agency examined 48 witnesses and submitted 206 documents as evidence. The court proceedings were held in-camera at a specially designated courtroom to protect the identities and privacy of the victims.
The CBI, in a statement, said it had ensured adequate emotional and moral support for the survivors during the investigation and trial. “Not a single witness turned hostile. The scientific evidence and electronic records presented in court played a crucial role in the conviction,” the agency said.
Special Public Prosecutor V Surendra Mohan, representing the CBI, told reporters outside the court that the verdict was fair and based on the gravity of the offences. “All eight victims deposed in court, and the testimonies of all 48 witnesses supported the prosecution’s case. The efforts of the CBI have not gone in vain,” he said.
Justice, six years later
A chargesheet was filed in the Coimbatore Women's Court on May 21, 2019, based on a complaint filed by a 19-year-old victim on February 24, 2019. However, procedural delays necessitated intervention by the Madras High Court, which directed that the matter be transferred to the Integrated Court Complex in Coimbatore for a dedicated courtroom setup.
Following the completion of prosecution and defence arguments, the court announced its verdict on Tuesday.
The case, which sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, involved the sexual assault of college students and other women in February 2019, and the circulation of obscene videos to intimidate the survivors.
Initially probed by the Pollachi East Police, the investigation was swiftly handed over to the CB-CID March 12, 2019, and then later transferred to the CBI agency on April 25, 2019 following widespread public outrage.
The investigation revealed that the gang had a pattern, one of the men, would lure women to secluded locations, where they were either coerced or assaulted while the acts were secretly recorded.
Reacting to the verdict, CM M K Stalin said, “Those sirs who tried to protect the guilty in AIADMK should feel ashamed.” AIADMK chief EPS said it was his government that transferred the case to CBI and now justice has been served.