Woman lured with promise of work, gang-raped near Melur; five arrested

MADURAI: Five persons, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 33-year-old woman near an in Madurai district's Melur, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

The accused have been identified as Vinith (21), Selvakumar (33), Aravind (26) and Veerapandi (30), all from Thamaraipatti, besides a juvenile. They are being interrogated.

Lured with promise of a job

According to the report, the survivor, a resident of a village near Tiruchuli in Virudhunagar district, had been living separately from her husband due to marital discord and was working as a construction labourer.

She had befriended a woman identified as Anitha, who allegedly gave her a mobile phone number, claiming it belonged to a person offering employment to care for an elderly woman in Melur.

After the survivor contacted the number, she was allegedly asked to come to Melur and was assured she would be paid for the work.

Assault and robbery

When the woman reached Melur on the night of the incident, a 20-year-old youth allegedly met her and took her to an area near an irrigation tank close to a TASMAC outlet in Thamaraipatti, where four others were waiting.

The youth allegedly left after dropping her at the spot. The four men then allegedly threatened and gang-raped the woman before fleeing with her half-sovereign gold chain, silver anklets and mobile phone.

Investigation under way

Based on the survivor's complaint, police registered a case and launched an investigation. After analysing CCTV footage and other evidence, police arrested four men and a juvenile in connection with the case.

The report added that police are continuing the investigation and are also probing the role of Anitha, who allegedly lured the survivor with the promise of a job.