Tamil Nadu CM Stalin slams state LoP Palaniswami on Pollachi sexual assault case

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday slammed the Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami for allegedly providing incorrect information on the FIR filed in the 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case.

He was prepared to prove before the Assembly that the FIR was registered twelve days after the complaint was filed in that case. But in the case of the sexual assault on the Anna University student, the police arrested the culprit the next day after filing the FIR, the Chief Minister said.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, Palaniswami said following the complaint on February 24, 2019, the police arrested three persons in connection with the Pollachi sexual assault case. But the police were yet to arrest the real perpetrator in the Anna University sexual assault case, he claimed.

Refuting his charge, Stalin said the FIR in the Pollachi case was registered only 12 days after receiving the complaint. However, in the case of the Anna University student sexual assault case, the arrest was made the very next day after receiving the complaint.

"If you prove what I said was wrong, then I will accept the punishment that you say. But, if I prove you wrong, then you should accept my punishment. Let's both furnish the evidence to the Speaker," Stalin challenged.

As Palaniswami reiterated that the arrests were made within 24 hours of registering the FIR in February 2019, Leader of the House Duraimurugan intervened and urged the Speaker to accept the proof from the Chief Minister and LoP and give his ruling on Saturday. PTI JSP SA