Two people, both auto drivers have been arrested in connection with the sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman in a moving auto-rickshaw near Chennai on Monday night.
The woman, a migrant worker from another state employed in Salem, was waiting for a bus outside the Kilambakkam bus terminus when an auto-rickshaw driver approached her and offered a ride. When she refused, he forcibly dragged her inside. Soon, two other men allegedly joined him in the vehicle and assaulted her at knifepoint as the three-wheeler sped through the city streets.
The woman’s screams alerted people on the road, who informed the police. The police began pursuing the vehicle, but before they could intercept it, the perpetrators dropped the woman on the roadside and fled.
However, the police believe only two men were involved. A police officer told NDTV “Both men arrested are auto drivers. The man who abducted her is Muthamizh Selvan and the man who joined later is Dayalan. An investigation is underway.”
Asked if the survivor said there were three men involved, he said “We are investigating.”
CCTV footage shows two men, believed to be the suspects, crossing a road. This is believed to be after they dropped the young woman.
Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai accused the MK Stalin-led DMK government of failing to ensure women’s safety.
“An 18-year-old girl was abducted in an auto rickshaw outside the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus in Kilambakkam and was sexually assaulted. She was saved by a good samaritan who dialled the police control room after hearing the girl’s cry for help. Sexual assault across Tamil Nadu has become a horrifying reality, with drugs becoming an easily accessible commodity,” Mr Annamalai said. “How many more victims before authorities ensure safer streets for our sisters?”
The attack comes just a month after the sexual assault case at Anna University, which triggered massive protests in the state.
