Pollachi sexual assault case: All nine accused granted life sentence

Chennai: Six years after the Pollachi sexual abuse case sent shockwaves across the country, a Mahila court in Coimbatore on Tuesday found all nine accused, including a former AIADMK functionary, guilty of sexually assaulting, filming, and blackmailing women, and sentenced them to life imprisonment until death.

Judge R Nandhini Devi imposed varying terms of life imprisonment, and fines on the nine accused after hearing arguments from the prosecution and defense. She also directed the Coimbatore District Legal Services Authority to grant a compensation of Rs 85 lakh in total to eight survivors.

The case revealed a chilling pattern of exploitation involving at least eight women who were sexually assaulted, filmed, and blackmailed for sexual favours and money between 2016 and 2018. The sexual exploitation came to light in February 2019 after audio clips capturing survivors’ distress as they pleaded with the perpetrators not to harm them went viral on social media. A brave 19-year-old girl had come forward to file a complaint, and another seven women followed suit.

The AIADMK government at the time came under intense scrutiny for delaying the filing of the first information report by nine days after the complaint was filed. One of the accused, Arulanandam, was expelled from the AIADMK, which faced allegations of trying to shield the accused, who were reportedly close to some of its leaders.

Following the uproar, the AIADMK government transferred the case to the CB-CID and finally to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which ensured the accused received multiple life sentences. The government had also come under attack after the police disclosed the names of the survivors which was seen as a move to dissuade survivors from filing complaints against the perpetrators.

The accused—Sabarirajan, Thirunavukkarasu, Sathish, Babu, Mani, Vasanthakumar, Haron Paul, Arulanandam, and Arunkumar — were convicted of criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, rape, and gang-rape.

“The accused have been convicted for two major offences (376D and 376(2)(n) of the now defunct Indian Penal Code, which pertains to gang-rape and repeated rape of the same woman,” CBI public prosecutor V Surendra Mohan said.

The prosecution examined as many as 48 witnesses – none of them turned hostile during the six-year-long trial – and presented 240 documents, and 400 electronic evidence before the court.

Investigations revealed the accused targeted young girls and women from middle-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds. Though the accused are suspected of sexually assaulting and exploiting numerous women, only eight testified against them.

The survivors were supported by a network of women's rights such as the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and political parties such as the CPM.

Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin tore into the AIADMK while welcoming the judgement. "Justice has been served for atrocities committed by criminals, including the AIADMK functionary. Those sirs (a veiled attack at the AIADMK which launched Who’s the Sir campaign in the Anna University sexual assault case against the DMK) who tried to protect the guilty should feel ashamed,” he said.

Former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami shot back by countering the Pollachi criticism with the sexual assault of the Anna University student in Chennai. "All offenders in the case were arrested during the previous AIADMK regime. It was me who ordered the CBI probe. The women have received justice today,” he added.