Ever since MK Stalin led DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu, there was a fear that the law-and-order situation could soon take a turn for the worse. While the Hindu Temples have been razed left, right and centre, it is the ordinary women of the state that are now fearing for their life as savages of the ruling party roam the streets of TN with impunity.
Reportedly, on Monday, eight men, including two DMK party functionaries were arrested for gangraping a 22-year-old Dalit woman in the Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu. According to reports, the arrested were Hariharan (27), Junaid Ahmed (27), Praveen (21), Madasamy (37), and four other minor boys from Virudhunagar studying in Classes X, XI, and XII.
DMK leader won the trust of Dalit lady; Raped and filmed her
Hariharan, the DMK worker made acquaintance with the Dalit lady a few months back. After winning the Dalit woman’s trust by professing his fake love, he brought her to a secluded warehouse and forced himself upon her whilst videotaping the gruesome act.
Following this, Hariharan and his friends threatened the survivor by saying they will share the video on social media if she does not oblige to the sexual favours demanded by them. Along with Hariharan, Junaid who is also a DMK functionary and others used the video as a ploy and started to sexually assault her multiple times over the last two months.
SC/ST Act applied to the accused
However, on Monday, based on the complaint from the woman who gathered the courage to come forward, the police arrested the accused under charges of rape and sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Hariharan, Junaid Ahamed, Praveen, and Madasamy were taken before the Special Court judge and remanded in judicial custody for cases registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The other four juvenile boys were produced before a magistrate and sent to a correction home in Madurai.
விருதுநகர் மாவட்டத்தில் 22 வயது பெண்ணை பாலியல் வன்கொடுமைக்கு உள்ளாக்கிய நபர்கள் கைது செய்யப்பட்டு இருப்பது ஆறுதலைத் தருகிறது. குற்றம் செய்தவர்கள் யாராக இருப்பினும் கடுமையாகத் தண்டிக்கப் படவேண்டும்.
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) March 22, 2022
A repeat of Nirbhaya gang rape in TN’s Vellore
While the noise around the Virudhunagar gang rape case had barely died down, a day later, a Nirbhaya-Esque gang rape case came to light and this time from the Vellore district, further denting the image of the DMK government of the state.
Reportedly, a woman was gang-raped in Vellore on March 16 after she along with her male friend was offered a lift in an autorickshaw
According to reports, the victims had taken an auto around 1 am after watching a movie. They were told it was a share auto, in which there were 4 people including the auto driver. The victim told the police that the vehicle took a different route and the five people overpowered the couple to gang rape the woman and rob them.
Nirbhaya of TN : Misses to get enough Attention.
Two persons picked up fight on Monday night in streets. Cops took them to police station for Enquiry. The statement they made shook the cops. Initially they were fighting for distribution of stolen items.
— Aathiraa Anand (@AnandAathiraa) March 23, 2022
The accidental arrest of the accused
The gang rape took place on March 17 and would have remained under wraps if it wasn’t for the accidental arrests of the accused. Reportedly, the three men and two juveniles that abducted and gang-raped the woman were creating a ruckus in a drunken state on Tuesday.
When the police apprehended the group and started questioning them, it was then that they folded and gave up the details of the horrifying gang rape. Reportedly, the woman doctor had returned to Bihar and only there she could gather the courage to file an online complaint.
Three of the accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, while the juveniles have been booked under Section 21 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
After the pressure piled up on the state government, following the revelations of two terrifying gang rape cases, CM MK Stalin told the state assembly that the Crime-Branch Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) had been handed the Virudhnagar case involving the two DMK functionaries.
MK Stalin led DMK is facing the heat from all corners. Instead of trying to create fault lines within communities in the state, MK Stalin should work for the safety of the women who are feeling threatened even stepping out of their homes. It appears that lawlessness has become the new norm under his tenure.
