Tamil Nadu Police Arrest Seven Students for Gang-Rape of 17-Year-Old in Coimbatore
Mumbai: Coimbatore police have arrested seven college students for the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl, whom they had befriended through social media, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to police, one of the accused befriended the girl online and invited her to his rented house in Kuniyamuthur. Upon her arrival, he and six others sexually assaulted her. The case came to light after the girl’s grandmother filed a missing person report at the Ukkadam police station on Sunday. The victim returned home on Monday morning and disclosed the ordeal during police questioning.
A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. All seven accused, aged between 19 and 20, were arrested from their residence in Kuniyamuthur on Tuesday.
Official Statements and Public Outrage
Coimbatore City Police Commissioner A. Saravana Sundar confirmed that authorities acted swiftly on the complaint. “The girl was staying with her grandmother while her parents and siblings were away,” he said.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage across Tamil Nadu, with women’s groups and political leaders calling for stringent action. Various organizations in Coimbatore have demanded urgent justice for the victim, citing an alarming rise in crimes against women across the state.
BJP state president K. Annamalai criticized the ruling DMK government for failing to curb crimes against women. “The Nirbhaya case shook the nation, but in Tamil Nadu, women—including students, female police officers, and government officials—continue to face daily threats to their safety. The DMK government has taken no effective measures to combat drug trafficking or ensure women’s safety,” he stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, in Chennai, members of the AIADMK’s student wing staged protests, urging the government to take immediate steps to curb sexual crimes against female students. AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathiyan said the demonstration was aimed at “waking up” the DMK government and ensuring strict punishment for the perpetrators.
“A senior police officer was recently suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a female constable. Educational institutions in Tamil Nadu are becoming centers of child exploitation,” he alleged, recalling a recent case where a mathematics teacher was accused of sexually assaulting 43 students.
Rising Concerns Over Crimes Against Women
The Coimbatore incident comes just days after another disturbing case in Pollachi, where four boys were accused of raping two minors and sodomizing an 18-year-old. Police have apprehended three juveniles and a young adult, recovering mobile phones suspected of recording the crime.
Amid mounting public anger, both Chennai and Coimbatore witnessed AIADMK members, clad in black shirts and blindfolds, protesting against the state government and demanding justice for survivors. The DMK government now faces growing pressure to take decisive action in addressing crimes against women and ensuring stricter enforcement of law and order.
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