- Three men arrested for kidnapping and raping a woman near Coimbatore airport were drunk, the police said
- The suspects attacked the woman's friend with a sickle and smashed the car windshield with a stone
- Two suspects are brothers and the third is a distant relative, with prior murder and theft cases
The three men who were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman college student near an airport in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore were drunk, the city police commissioner said on Tuesday.
The survivor was in a car with her male friend when the accused, identified as Thavasi, Karthik and Kaliswaran, allegedly kidnapped her, forcibly took her to another location, and sexually assaulted her. According to the police, they smashed the windshield of the car with a stone and attacked the survivor's friend with a sickle.
Two of the three men are brothers and the other is a distant relative, the police said.
The suspects were involved in murder and theft cases - two of them were granted bail. They also stole a bike, officials said.
Officials clarified that they are not affiliated with any political party.
The suspects were arrested after a brief encounter with the police this morning. They were shot in the leg and taken to the hospital. Evidence from multiple sources indicates that the three men are the perpetrators, the police said.
The cops have denied the delay in locating the survivor.
The incident took place around 10:40 pm on Sunday. All 11:20 pm, the survivor's friend called the police. However, by the time the police arrived, the suspects had scaled a wall and fled. The police had to comb three locations to track the accused.
The police recorded the survivor's and her friend's statements and were given psychological counselling.
The case sparked a political war of words in Tamil Nadu ahead of the assembly elections, with the Opposition targeting the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led government over law and order and the safety of women. Leader of the Opposition 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. Actor-politician Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), asked Stalin to "wake up".
Stalin today called the incident "inhumane" and said he instructed police to file a chargesheet within a month and ensure stringent punishment for the perpetrators.
