CHANDIGARH: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday criticised the DMK government and the state police for allegedly taking four hours and 25 minutes to locate the gang rape survivor after reaching the crime scene in Coimbatore, on Sunday night.
In a statement here, Palaniswami said Coimbatore Police Commissioner, A Saravana Sundar, said that police received a call at 11.20 pm and the team of police personnel reached the scene at 11.35 pm, yet found the student only at 4 am.
"What was the police doing for four hours and twenty-five minutes, between 11.35 pm and 4 am? Palaniswami asked, stating that Chief Minister MK Stalin who took credit for arresting the culprits should be ashamed at the police’s inability to locate the sexually assaulted student for more than four hours despite being at the crime scene.
Palaniswami also pointed out that the Coimbatore City Police Commissioner claimed that 100 police personnel carried out a massive search operation at the crime location.
"But it is shocking to know that the 100 police personnel could not locate the sexually assaulted student for more than four and a half hours," he added.
When reporters questioned how why the student could not be found, the Commissioner first said that she was beyond a small wall. But within a few minutes, the Commissioner contradicted himself, saying the student was beyond a 'large' wall.
"If so, why didn't the 100-member police team climb over the wall and look for her?, the AIADMK leader asked.
Recalling the commissioner's statement that she could not be found sooner because it was dark and isolated, Palaniswami said, “The State police should have been ashamed to give such an excuse.”
The AIADMK asked, “By giving such an explanation, is the DMK government admitting that its police department is incapable of finding a woman at the crime scene at midnight? Also, the CM said the chargesheet will be filed within a month. Before doing so, the CM should explain why his police failed to locate the victim for four hours and 25 minutes," Palaniswami added.
