COIMBATORE: A court in Coimbatore on Thursday granted one day's custody of three accused involved in the gang rape of a college student.
The three accused, T Karuppasamy alias Satheesh (30), his brother T Kaleeswaran alias Karthik (21), from Sivaganga district, and their relative M Guna alias Thavasi (20), from Madurai, were produced before the Additional Mahila Court.
The police moved the court on November 24 seeking three-day custody to interrogate the trio, who were facing several cases of murder, theft and assault. The three accused were brought to the court wearing monkey caps in two ambulances with a heavy police escort.
Both Karuppasamy and Kaleeswaran were taken into the court hall in stretchers, while the other accused was wheeled into the court. They were unable to walk due to wounds sustained when police opened fire to nab them from a hideout.
After a closed-door hearing, the Additional Mahila Court Judge granted the police one day's custody. The judge also directed the police to produce them by Friday, 4 pm, after interrogation. The three men were then taken away by the police for questioning.
Police have expedited investigations with a hope of filing the charge sheet as soon as possible, and a test identification parade was held at the Coimbatore Central Prison on November 18.
On the night of November 2, the three men smashed the glass panes of the car using a stone, attacked the 25-year-old youth with a sickle, forcibly took the 20-year-old girl to a secluded spot and raped her near Coimbatore International Airport.
After a search, the police nabbed the trio from a hideout by shooting at their legs in Thudiyalur.