On Could 13, 2025, the Mahila Court docket in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, convicted all 9 accused within the high-profile 2019 Pollachi sexual assault case, a verdict that marked a big second in a case that shocked India as a result of its scale and brutality. Presided over by Choose R. Nandhini Devi, the court docket discovered the accused responsible of fees together with gang rape, repeated rape, sexual harassment, prison conspiracy, and extortion, amongst others. The sentencing was scheduled for 12 midday on the identical day, with the prosecution searching for life imprisonment because of the gravity of the crimes. Beneath is a complete overview of the case, its developments, and the decision’s implications.
Background of the Case
The Pollachi sexual assault case got here to gentle on February 24, 2019, when a 19-year-old school pupil filed a criticism with the Pollachi East police, alleging she was sexually assaulted by 4 males in a transferring automobile on February 12, 2019. The accused filmed the assault, robbed her of a gold chain, and used the footage to blackmail her for sexual favors and cash. Her brother tracked down two of the accused, seized their telephones, and handed over proof revealing a bigger racket. Investigations uncovered a chilling sample of systemic abuse, with the accused concentrating on quite a few ladies—doubtlessly over 200, although solely eight formally reported—between 2016 and 2018.
The perpetrators, working as an organized prison group, befriended ladies on social media, lured them to remoted places like a farmhouse owned by accused Ok. Thirunavukkarasu in Chinnappapalayam close to Pollachi, and subjected them to sexual assault. They recorded these acts and used the movies to extort victims, threatening to leak footage to households and communities. Victims included school college students, college lecturers, docs, and married ladies from Coimbatore, Chennai, Salem, and different elements of Tamil Nadu.
The Accused
The 9 convicted people, all arrested in 2019 and held in Salem Central Jail, are:
- N. Sabarirajan (alias Rishwanth), 32
- Ok. Thirunavukkarasu, 34
- M. Sathish, 33
- T. Vasantha Kumar, 30
- R. Mani (alias Manivannan), 32
- P. Babu (alias Bike Babu), 33
- T. Haron Paul (alias Haronimus Paul), 32
- Ok. Arulanantham, 39
- M. Arun Kumar, 33
Sabarirajan was recognized as the important thing perpetrator who lured victims, whereas Thirunavukkarasu’s farmhouse served as a main location for the assaults. Arulanantham was a member of the AIADMK’s pupil wing, including a political dimension to the case.
Costs and Proof
The accused confronted fees below a number of sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), together with:
- Part 376D (gang rape)
- Part 376(2)(n) (repeated rape on the identical girl)
- Part 354A (sexual harassment)
- Part 354B (assault or prison pressure to disrobe)
- Part 392 (theft)
- Part 120B (prison conspiracy)
Extra fees had been filed below Part 66E of the Info Expertise Act (violation of privateness) and Part 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Ladies Act.
The prosecution offered over 200 paperwork and 400 items of digital proof, together with forensic-validated movies of the assaults recovered from the accused’s telephones, laptops, and 30 compact disks discovered at Thirunavukkarasu’s farmhouse. The eight survivors’ testimonies, protected below the Witness Safety Act, had been pivotal, with no witnesses turning hostile. The CBI’s investigation confirmed the organized nature of the crimes, with Sabarirajan coordinating the group’s actions.
Investigation and Trial
The case was initially dealt with by the Pollachi police however confronted criticism for lapses, together with the general public disclosure of a survivor’s id by Coimbatore’s then-Superintendent of Police R. Pandiarajan, which activists claimed was meant to discourage different victims from coming ahead. Following widespread protests by college students, ladies’s teams, and political events just like the DMK, the case was transferred to the Tamil Nadu Crime Department-CID (CB-CID) on March 12, 2019, after which to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 25, 2019, amid calls for for an neutral probe.
The CBI filed its first chargesheet towards 5 accused on Could 24, 2019, and later arrested three extra suspects, together with Arulanantham, in January 2021. The trial confronted delays, prompting the Madras Excessive Court docket in August 2021 to order it to begin by September. In April 2025, the accused underwent in-camera questioning below Part 313 of the CrPC, answering roughly 200 questions every primarily based on prosecution proof.
Political and Social Context
The case took on political overtones as a result of alleged hyperlinks to the ruling AIADMK. Studies by Tamil journal Nakkheeran claimed involvement of senior AIADMK leaders, together with Deputy Speaker Pollachi V. Jayaraman’s sons, although these claims had been denied by Jayaraman and the sufferer’s household, who mentioned he supported their criticism. An AIADMK member, “Bar” Nagraj, was expelled after assaulting the survivor’s brother. The timing of CBI arrests in January 2021, forward of the Tamil Nadu elections, fueled hypothesis of political maneuvering between the AIADMK and its ally, the BJP.
The case sparked huge public outrage, with protests by the Democratic Youth Federation of India, All India Democratic Ladies’s Affiliation (AIDWA), and DMK, led by MP Kanimozhi, who demanded a reinvestigation of feminine suicides in Pollachi doubtlessly linked to the gang’s blackmail. The Madras Excessive Court docket awarded ₹25 lakh in compensation to the preliminary survivor for privateness violations and ordered safety for victims’ identities.
Verdict and Reactions
On Could 13, 2025, the Mahila Court docket delivered a unanimous responsible verdict, with heavy police safety on the Coimbatore court docket advanced because of the case’s sensitivity. The prosecution, led by CBI Public Prosecutor Surenda Mohan, emphasised the “heinous” nature of the crimes and sought most punishment. Ladies’s rights activists, together with AIDWA’s S. Rajalakshmi, celebrated the decision however referred to as for systemic help for survivors, together with compensation, counseling, and authorities jobs to assist restoration. Solely eight of the estimated 200+ victims got here ahead, highlighting societal stigma and concern of retaliation.
Posts on X mirrored the general public’s reduction and concentrate on justice, with customers like @karthickselvaa and @PTI_News noting the convictions and awaiting sentencing particulars. AIDWA members had been seen celebrating exterior the court docket, underscoring the decision’s significance for gender-based violence circumstances.
Implications and Vital Evaluation
The conviction of all 9 accused is a landmark in addressing gender-based violence in India, significantly in circumstances involving digital exploitation and extended coercion. The sturdy proof, survivor testimonies, and judicial oversight exhibit the potential for accountability when institutional help is in place. Nonetheless, the low variety of official complainants (eight out of doubtless 200+ victims) factors to persistent societal boundaries, comparable to stigma and concern, that deter reporting. The preliminary police mishandling, together with the survivor’s id leak, and allegations of a cover-up involving the AIADMK increase considerations about institutional complicity, which the CBI probe didn’t totally tackle.
The political angle—alleged AIADMK safety of culprits and BJP’s strategic arrests—suggests the case was leveraged for electoral achieve, doubtlessly delaying justice. The decision, whereas a victory, doesn’t tackle the broader systemic points, comparable to the necessity for quicker trials, higher sufferer safety, and investigations into associated suicides. Activists’ requires survivor rehabilitation are essential, as monetary and psychological help might encourage extra victims to come back ahead in future circumstances.
Conclusion
The conviction of all 9 accused within the Pollachi sexual assault case on Could 13, 2025, is a big step towards justice for survivors of a horrific, organized crime that exploited and traumatized quite a few ladies. The case uncovered vulnerabilities in policing, societal stigma, and political interference, however the court docket’s determination, backed by sturdy proof and survivor braveness, units a precedent for accountability. As sentencing looms, the main target stays on guaranteeing most punishment and supporting survivors’ restoration to rebuild belief within the justice system.
In the event you want additional particulars, comparable to particular sentencing outcomes (if accessible later right now), survivor testimonies, or the case’s political fallout, let me know, and I can present updates or dive deeper!
