The Coimbatore Rural Police have initiated steps to slap provisions of the Goondas Act on the four accused arrested in connection with the harassment and blackmailing of a college student.
Coimbatore District (Rural) Superintendent of Police R. Pandiarajan said to The Hindu on Wednesday that procedures were under way to slap the Goondas Act on them.
K. Thirunavukkarasu (27) from Makkinampatti, N. Sabarirajan (25) aka Rishwanth from MGR Nagar, N. Sathish (29) from Suleeswaranpatti and T. Vasanthakumar (24) from Pakkothipalayam, all places near Pollachi, were arrested by the police based on a complaint filed by a 19-year-old college student. Thirunavukkarasu, who was absconding for several days, was held on Tuesday.
According to the police, the decision to slap provisions of the Goondas Act on the four accused was taken considering their alleged involvement in harassing and blackmailing several women and girls in similar manner. Also, detention under the Goondas Act will keep the accused behind bars for a longer period. Though the police have reportedly found videos of several women and girls from the mobile phones of the accused, only one victim of the gang approached the police which led to their arrest.
The Rural police have appealed to the victims of the gang to lodge complaints against the accused and assured to keep their whereabouts confidential.
The police will also examine two smart phones seized from Thirunavukkarasu at a Government laboratory in Chennai to retrieve the erased data.
Two killed in accident
Two persons were killed and three others were injured when the car in which they were travelling collided with another car on Siruvani Road on Tuesday. M. Ramakrishnan (38) from Edappadi in Salem and M. Ezhilarasi (65) from NGO Colony near Palayamkottai were killed in the accident. Their co-passengers P. Dhanam (50) from K.V.K. Nagar near Thoothukudi, M. Sneha (23), daughter of Ezhilarasi, and B. Roshan Babu (42) from Coimbatore, driver of the other car, were injured.
Attempt to snatch chain
Motorcycle-borne duo attempted to snatch the chain of a 47-year-old woman from Saravanampatti on Wednesday. The attempt was made on B. Lalitha, a resident of Chidambaram Colony at Vinayagapuram near Saravanampatti.
