Three men gang-rape college student, assault friend near Coimbatore airport

COIMBATORE: A 21-year-old student of a private college was allegedly raped by three persons, who also assaulted her friend with a sickle, near the Coimbatore international airport on Sunday night, sending shock waves across the state, with political parties demanding stringent action against the culprits.

The girl, who has been pursuing her post-graduation in a college near Peelamedu, was talking to her friend in a car parked at a secluded spot near the airport around 11 pm, when three miscreants arrived on a two-wheeler and threatened them to step out of the vehicle.

“When they refused, the trio smashed the windscreen and hit the boyfriend on his head with a sickle, knocking him out. They then dragged the girl out of the vehicle to a thicket and sexually assaulted her. Around 2 am, the friend regained consciousness and informed the control room,” police said.

A team of over 50 police men immediately rushed to the spot and sent the injured youth to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). After a long search, around 4 am, they found the girl in an unconscious state, almost a kilometre away from the car. She was then admitted to a private hospital in SITRA.

The girl, whose father had passed away and mother is a former cop in Madurai, was living in a hostel to pursue higher education.

Fingerprint experts lifted chance prints from the crime scene, and a sniffer dog was pressed into service.

Seven special teams have been formed to trace and nab the culprits, police said. The teams scrutinised the CCTV footage from nearby SIHS Colony and Brindavan Garden neighbourhoods.

Police suspect the involvement of persons with a criminal history in the incident. They also found a ‘stolen’ moped reportedly used by the criminals from near the crime scene. Further inquiries are underway.

The incident has sparked political outrage. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the chief minister, who holds the Home portfolio, should direct the police to immediately find the assailants and render justice to the student.

Expressing his shock over the crime, Union Minister L Murugan said the horrific incident was an example of the fact that there has been no reduction in the number of heinous crimes against women in Tamil Nadu.

"This sexual assault on a young woman in an important area of Coimbatore district reveals the incompetence of the Tamil Nadu government and police," Murugan said.

BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran announced a statewide protest demanding the arrest of the culprits, while Coimbatore South MLA and BJP Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan said the sexual assault incident was another black mark on the ruling DMK.