CPM, Congress urge swift action and stronger policing

CHENNAI: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai on Monday strongly condemned the brutal gang rape of a college student in Coimbatore, calling for the immediate arrest of the accused and tougher measures to ensure women’s safety in the State.

Shanmugam, in a statement, said the incident occurred near the Coimbatore airport on Saturday night. The young woman, a college student, was sitting in a car and speaking with her friend, Vinith, when three miscreants arrived at the spot. They allegedly smashed the car’s window with a sickle, pulled Vinith out and assaulted him, leaving him unconscious. The attackers then dragged the woman about 500 metres away, sexually assaulted her, and fled the scene. Vinith later regained consciousness and alerted the police, who rescued both victims and admitted them to the hospital for treatment.

The Marxist party leader condemned the “heinous and shocking crime”, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits and stringent legal action. “It is deeply disturbing that crimes against women continue to occur in Tamil Nadu. The State government must take effective measures to curb such incidents, and the police must intensify surveillance to prevent them,” he said.

TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai also expressed outrage over the incident and said the assault exposed serious lapses in police vigilance and public safety. “Although the Tamil Nadu government has been taking steps to prevent sexual offences, lack of adequate monitoring and awareness among the police has allowed such brutalities to happen,” he said in a statement.

He added that seven special teams had been formed to trace and arrest the three accused and urged the police to act with an “iron hand” to deter future crimes. Selvaperunthagai called upon Chief Minister MK Stalin to issue directives ensuring stronger policing and women’s safety, and appealed to the government to bear the full cost of the survivor’s medical treatment.