Aruppukottai gang rape: All 7 accused in 2022 case convicted

CHENNAI: Fast-track Mahila court in Srivilliputhur convicted all seven accused in the August 2022 Aruppukottai gang rape case on Friday (November 28). The conviction, a life term for six, was secured through a combination of the victim's unwavering testimony, reliable witnesses, and a wealth of forensic evidence.

The harrowing incident occurred on the afternoon of August 22, 2022. The victim, after attending a family function, had gone to meet a male friend near Palavanatham. A group of seven men, including one juvenile, confronted them in a field. The friend was assaulted and robbed, while the victim was abducted in a car owned by the prime accused, Sreenivasan.

She was then taken to a secluded pond area, where she was gang-raped inside the vehicle. The assailants, identified as Sreenivasan, Prabakaran (A2), Vijay (A3), Ramkumar (A4), Jayakumar (A5), Alagumurugan (A6), and a minor, also robbed her of her jewellery. After the assault, they took her to a petrol bunk and later dropped her near her home, not before clicking her picture and threatening her.

The investigation was pivotal to the conviction. Key steps included a meticulously recorded victim statement and corroborative accounts from her friend, a passerby, and a petrol bunk employee.

Forensic science played a decisive role. Evidence collected from A1's car, including a bus ticket and broken bangle pieces, matched the victim's account. Critically, the court drew a presumption of guilt after the accused refused to cooperate for DNA analysis of semen traces found in the car.

Furthermore, cyber forensics recovered two deleted photographs of the victim from A1's mobile phone, corroborating her statement about being photographed. CCTV footage from the petrol bunk was analysed anthropologically, confirming the presence of the accused and their vehicles at the scene shortly after the crime.

The court found the collective evidence — consistent testimonies, positive identification, and solid forensic support — to be irrefutable, leading to the conviction of all accused under sections including gang rape, abduction, and robbery. All six adult individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment by Fast Track Mahila Court sessions judge M. Pushparani. The trial against the juvenile is pending.

According to Asra Garg, IG north zone, who was the IG south zone when the incident happened, investigation officer Preethi , SP Manoharan and DIG Ponni worked hard on this case.

“Investigation in this case had been carried out thoroughly, diligently and strictly in accordance with statutory procedures and various judicial pronouncements,” he recalled.