COIMBATORE: A 31-year-old man was arrested for sexually assaulting an 85-year-old woman at her farmhouse near Anthiyur in Erode on Saturday (August 15) night.
The elderly woman was living alone at the farmhouse, the police said. The accused, Vicky of Rishivandiyam in Kallakurichi district, entered the house at night and attacked the woman when she raised an alarm.
Even though the elderly woman pleaded with him to leave her, considering her old age, the accused showed no mercy and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene.
The woman was found unconscious by neighbours on Sunday (August 16) morning after they became suspicious when she did not come out of the house for a prolonged period.
They rushed her to the Anthiyur Government Hospital, from where she was later shifted to the Erode Government Hospital for further treatment. Police said the woman needs to be under treatment for a few more days before discharge.
The Anthiyur police registered a case and examined CCTV footage from the area, which showed Vicky fleeing from her house around the time of the incident.
Vicky, who was in the area for sugarcane harvesting work, was detained and subsequently arrested by the Bhavani All-Women Police Station.
An inquiry is under way whether the accused is involved in any similar offence elsewhere.