- Three men arrested for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman near Coimbatore airport
- The woman, a student at a private college, was in a car with her male friend when she was kidnapped
- The police shot accused in legs in a brief encounter
Three men have been arrested for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman college student near an airport in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore on Sunday.
The accused -- Thavasi, Karthik and Kaliswaran -- were arrested after a brief encounter with the police early Tuesday. They were shot in the legs and have been taken to the hospital.
The woman, a student at a private college in Coimbatore, was in a car with her male friend when the accused allegedly kidnapped her, forcibly took her to another location, and sexually assaulted her.
A senior police officer had told NDTV that seven special teams were formed to search for the accused.
Political Firestorm Ahead of 2026 Elections
The incident sparked sharp political reactions in Tamil Nadu, where the assembly elections are due in early 2026, with the opposition targeting the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led government over law and order and safety of women.
The Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), who has announced protests in Coimbatore and across the state, asked, “Is there a functional police force under Chief Minister MK Stalin?”
The BJP also held a protest in Coimbatore last evening and announced statewide agitations, alleging a severe shortage of police personnel.
BJP's K Annamalai said the Coimbatore incident was "utterly shocking".
"Since the DMK government came to power in Tamil Nadu, such repeated crimes against women clearly show that anti-social elements have no fear whatsoever of the law or the police. From DMK ministers to law enforcement personnel, there is a clear tendency to protect sexual offenders," he said in a post on X.
"Instead of using the police to ensure public safety or maintain law and order, the DMK government employs them solely to arrest critics of the regime, leaving Tamil Nadu in a state of utter disgrace today," he said, adding that Stalin, who also holds charge of the police force, should "hang his head in shame".
Actor-politician Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), asked Stalin to "wake up".
"Where is law and order and public safety?” he said.
“A gang rape took place before the wounds of the Anna University sexual assault have even healed," he said, referring to the incident last December, in which the accused was convicted and awarded life imprisonment recently.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairperson also called the Coimbatore assault "a failure by the state police", asking, “How many more Nirbhayas?”
Government, Police Deny Rise In Crimes Against Women
The ruling DMK and senior police officials have, in earlier instances, denied allegations of a rise in sexual crimes against women in the state.
They maintain that swift and stringent action is being taken against offenders and that trials are being fast-tracked, citing the recent Anna University conviction.
"Despite several measures, these unfortunate incidents happen against women, and in every such case swift and stringent action is being taken. We should see this amid the larger rise in crime against women across the country," DMK spokesperson Dr Syed Hafeezullah said.
