COIMBATORE: The examination of public witnesses in the gang rape of a college student commenced at the Mahila Court in Coimbatore on Friday.
According to the prosecution, more than 10 members of the public appeared before Judge V Sundararaj and recorded their statements, recounting the incidents that unfolded on the horrific night. The rape survivor had first approached these residents seeking help after the assault.
On the fateful night on November 2 last year, the three accused, T Karuppasamy alias Satheesh, his brother T Kaleeswaran alias Karthik and their relative M Guna alias Thavasi forcibly took the 20-year-old victim to a secluded spot after attacking her boyfriend and sexually assaulting her near Coimbatore International Airport. The duo were chatting in a car when the assault happened. The police then nabbed the three accused by shooting them in their legs.
The police filed a preliminary charge sheet before the Mahila Court on December 2 and a 220-page additional charge sheet on 9 December. The trial in the case commenced on February 2, with both the victim and her boyfriend testifying before the judge. A total of 113 witnesses have been listed in the case.
After the public hearing, the court is expected to record the testimonies of police, doctors and forensic experts, among others, as part of the ongoing trial.