CHENNAI: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday slammed the DMK government over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, saying that the recent incident of a minor's rape and murder in Tuticorin has raised questions on safety of women and children.
Attacking the MK Stalin-led government on the incident in Vilathikulam, in Tuticorin district, he said the overall functioning of the police is not commendable as the arrest of the accused in the case came after nine days of the crime.
"During the investigation, it was also revealed that (accused) Dharma Muneeswaran had already sexually assaulted and murdered elderly women in two different incidents and had robbed them of their jewelry," Anbumani said in a statement.
He said that Muneeswaran who had come out on bail and signing daily at the Tuticorin Women's court, should have been monitored by the police continuously.
Alleging that he was roaming in a two wheeler and was arrested based on surveillance cameras, Anbumani said that since he has been using a stolen vehicle for many days, if police had discovered that, the incident could have been prevented. "In that aspect too, the police suffered a total failure," he charged.
Dharma Muneeswaran (38), a history-sheeter was arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl near Vilathikulam.
The accused was apprehended after CCTV footage from a windmill and a stolen motorcycle found near the crime scene provided crucial leads.
Referring to the horrific incident of a gang rape behind Coimbatore airport in November 2025, Anbumani said even in that incident, the three arrested men had a criminal background.
"If the police had monitored the old criminals, that incident could have been prevented. But, this too is a failure by the police," he said. Claiming that the incidents showcase the free movement of such perpetrators in the society, he said, "The police have taken no action to monitor them or to prevent them from engaging in criminal acts repeatedly."
"Instead, women and children who ought to move freely, have to live in fear," he said. The law and order situation in Tamil Nadu is a joke and after April 23, safety of women and children would be ensured as the AIADMK-led NDA will win the Assembly polls, he noted.