2019 Pollachi sexual assault case
The gang would entice women into isolated places after befriending them on social media and sexually assault them and filmed the act.
The case was shifted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), another man surrendered before the judicial magistrate and confessed to raping and blackmailing women.
The CBI arrested three more men involved in the incident in January 2021 including a functionary of the DMK & All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
On February 12, 2019, a 19-year-old college student in Pollachi received a call from an acquaintance who said he needed to speak with her alone about something important and told her to meet him near a bus stop.
There were also suspicions that young women in the region who had committed suicide in the previous year were also victims of sexual harassment by the same men.
[9] The Pollachi police department issued a public appeal for women who have been victimized by the gang to come forward and register a complaint.
[12] Police arrested the secretary of the AIADMK's 'Amma Forum' in Pollachi town on March 12, 2019, for allegedly threatening and beating the victim's brother.
[16] Students studying Siddha medicines in Tirunelveli also protested on March 18, 2019, by pinning black tags to their white coats.
[17][18] Over 300 students from Vellore's Voorhees College held a sit-in protest, shouting slogans demanding protection for women, specifically when they were away from home.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) staged a huge protest on March 12, led by Member of Parliament, Kanimozhi.
[24] The CBI visited the farm house of the accused in May 2019 and after examining the area, they confirmed one place where a young girl was sexually harassed by the group.
[12] An anonymous victim claimed in a recorded audio clip that a young girl died after she was gang-raped by the arrested accused and his accomplices at his farm house and later her body was buried at the back.
[29][12] Activists and journalists reported that, despite the arrests, there appears to be no inquiry into the role of the Pollachi policemen in either assisting the ring or covering up the crime.
[15] The AIADMK's Information Technology cell lodged a separate complaint with the police, requesting that individuals propagating propaganda against the ruling party and its leaders be prosecuted.
[32] Thirunavukkarasu, the main accused, requested that the investigation be transferred to the CBI, saying that politically powerful people were engaged in the case.
[30] According to news sources in the Tamil media, the local Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and AIADMK Deputy Speaker V Jayaraman's son was linked to people involved in the incident.
[33] On March 1, Coimbatore SP R Pandiarajan had a televised news conference in which he announced the survivor's name which is a criminal offence by law.
On March 6, police issued a press statement in which they unlawfully identified the survivor by revealing her name, educational background, and location.
Since that has not occurred, and the CBI arresting the accused at this point makes us believe the allegations against the BJP are real, and they are attempting to use this to preserve their image and gain political advantage.
Three individuals were arrested on January 20, 2021, during the approach to the 2021 Tamil Nadu elections, after the AIADMK took steps to alienate its ally Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) of the National Democratic Alliance.
The arrests in January 2021, according to several activists and political pundits was an attempt by the CBI and the federal government to arm-twist the AIADMK into forming a coalition with the BJP in and to get more seats in the seat-sharing procedure of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.
