In a post on X, Annamalai said the victim, a native of Kancheepuram district, had gone to Cheyyar to attend a function when the incident took place. He termed the incident “shocking” and said the safety of women and children in Tamil Nadu has “ceased to exist”.

He alleged that repeated such incidents point to lapses in maintaining law and order and criticised the DMK government over the situation.

Referring to the current scenario, Annamalai claimed that drug menace and lack of fear among criminals have worsened the situation in the state over the past few years. He said restoring normalcy would take time.

Annamalai demanded that all those involved in the case be arrested immediately and given strict punishment. He also urged the government to ensure protection and provide psychological counselling to the victim and her family.