Four suspects, who were allegedly involved in the gang rape of a women doctor in Vellore a month ago, has been booked under Goondas Act on Friday.
On the recommendation of the Superintendent of Police, S. Rajesh Kannan, Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian signed necessary documents enabling the police to book the suspects under Goondas Act. The Act ensures that the suspects cannot be released on bail at least for a year.
The four suspects in the horrific case are R. Parthiban, R. Bharath, E. Santhosh Kumar and V. Manikandan. All of them belong to the Sathuvachari neighbourhood on the Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) in Vellore. At present, all four suspects were in the Central Prison in Vellore since they were arrested nearly a month ago.
Police said that it was in the early hours on March 17, the woman doctor who works in a private hospital and her friend were returning to the hospital after watching the night show at the movie theater in Katpadi. An autorickshaw, with five people inside, including the driver, approached them and solicited a ride. Though initially uncomfortable with this, the two boarded the vehicle, and bid the driver to go to the hospital.
A short distance later, police said the auto veered away from the route to the hospital and the two passengers realised something was wrong and started shouting for help. However, the five others who were already in the vehicle overpowered the two and took them to the secluded place along the Palar river, off the Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) near Sathuvachari. There, reportedly, they gang raped the woman at knife point, as her male friend was pinned down.
The gang then stole their mobile phones, and gold jewellery they had on their person, additionally, they took the man to a nearby ATM and forced him to withdraw Rs. 40,000 which they took and left
Subsequently, police arrested all five suspects including a minor, who was sent to government correctional home, and lodged them in the Central Prison in Vellore.
Based on a online complaint by the survivor to Vellore SP office on March 22, a case has been registered at the Vellore North Police station under several IPC sections including 376 (D) (gang rape) and section 4 (penalty for harassment of woman) of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, police said.
