The culprits were not aware that the entire event was being captured on a CCTV camera. They panicked and went into hiding after media started reporting the incident.
This was revealed by prime suspect Ayappa, who has been arrested. He claimed that he and his associates had been stalking the girl and wanted to befriend her. On Saturday night, Ayappa and his friend Lenin saw the victim passing near their ‘adda’ where they spend most of their leisure time.
The duo were drunk. They followed her to her house on a scooter and intercepted her near her Paying Guest accommodation.
They called her to out. The victim turned back but started walking away from them briskly.
Ayappa quickly got off the scooter and groped her before dragging her towards the two-wheeler.
The shocked victim slapped him and even bit him on his hand in an effort to escape.
This is when Ayappa, in a fit of rage, pushed her away. She fell down and escaped.
Meanwhile, the victim’s friend, who was witnessing the assault, started screaming for help.
Ayappa told the police: ‘We did not realise that the entire incident was being captured on a CCTV camera. After the media started airing the footage, we feared that the police would treat this case like the Nirbhaya rape case and decided to take refuge in the house of our relatives’.