THOOTHUKUDI
The Kulaththoor police arrested five persons, including a boy who allegedly sexually harassed a 17-year-old girl, who attempted to commit suicide recently by setting herself ablaze as she was unable to bear with the trauma caused by them over the past few months.
Police said V. Saravanan alias Saravanakumar, 27, M. Velsamy, 29, K. Udhayakumar, 19, V. Karuppasamy, 19 and a 17-year-old boy, all from a village under the Kulaththoor police station limits, were sexually harassing the girl by calling her over the mobile phone.
When she refused to attend their calls and switched off the phone at one point as she was unable to bear their torture, the tormentors went to her house on May 8 even as she was alone and threatened her of dire consequences if she refused to attend their phone calls.
Upset over this, the girl allegedly immolated herself and was admitted to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for treatment. Though her mother filed a complaint with the Kulaththoor police, no immediate action was taken to arrest the tormentors, who reportedly escaped on a lorry.
On coming to know about the incident, Superintendent of Police Arun Balagopalan formed four special teams that nabbed all the five accused. While the 17-year-old boy was lodged in the juvenile home in Palayamkottai, Saravanakumar, Velsamy, Karuppasamy and Udhayakumar were lodged in the Peroorani jail. Further investigations are on.
