In a shocking incident, three men have been arrested for gang-raping a Class XI girl in a Coimbatore park in 2019 and then threatening to kill her family members when the survivor’s father reported the crime. The survivor’s father alleged that the two accused barged into their house on Monday and offered the family 15 lakh to withdraw the rape charges, threatening to kill the entire family if they pursued the case.
The Coimbatore city deputy commissioner of police (south), K Saravanakumar, has confirmed that the police are providing protection to the survivor’s family. The survivor, now a college student, had previously appeared before the court and given her statement.
The accused – P Manikandan, T Rahul, R Prakash, S Karthikeyan, S Narayanamurthy and Karthi – were arrested under stringent laws, including the POCSO Act, multiple sections of the IPC, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in addition to the Goondas Act.
However, a few months ago, as the case neared its final stages, the accused were released on bail. According to the police, Manikandan and Karthik, along with their associates Auto Mani and Arun Hassan, visited the survivor’s family on Monday afternoon and renewed their threats. When the family refused their offer, the accused threatened to kill them, prompting the survivor’s father to call for help from neighbors. The four men fled the scene, but the police have since apprehended Manikandan, Karthik, and Auto Mani. Hassan remains at large.
The deputy commissioner of police, Saravanakumar, has stated that patrolling has been intensified, and the other accused are under surveillance. The survivor’s ordeal has highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by victims of sexual violence and the need for continued vigilance and support from law enforcement agencies and society as a whole.
