In a series of shocking incidents, the state of Tamil Nadu finds itself grappling with an alarming rise in sexual assault cases, exacerbating public outrage and concern. The latest incidents involve victims ranging from a 12-year-old volleyball player to women across various strata of society, all underscoring a pervasive culture of violence against women.
On December 25, 2024, a 12-year-old girl, who had just returned from a volleyball tournament in Trichy, became the latest victim of a heinous crime in Kanyakumari. The young athlete was waiting outside her school for her father to pick her up when she encountered 37-year-old Faisal Khan, who lured her under the pretenses of needing to use the bathroom. It is alleged that after directing her to a nearby house, Khan locked her in a room and sexually assaulted her. The girl returned home distressed and promptly informed her parents, who filed a complaint at the Marthandam Women Police Station. In response, police arrested Khan under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Further investigation revealed involvement from the victim’s boyfriend, 21-year-old Regis Kumar, sparking inquiries into whether he facilitated other students to Khan’s residence.
Such gruesome incidents . One after the other . @mkstalin the tears of these innocent people . Is this the Dravidian model you promised ? pic.twitter.com/MCNrbmGItl
— karthik gopinath (@karthikgnath) December 30, 2024
This incident comes on the heels of the tragic case of sexual assault of a 19-year-old Anna University student, adding to the collective anguish over the rampant sexual violence against women in Tamil Nadu.
In another appalling case, a 28-year-old woman named Nirmala was brutally assaulted and murdered in the Kallakurichi district. After losing her husband to electrocution four years prior, Nirmala had been raising her two young daughters alone. On December 26, she went out to deliver milk but was found the next day with signs of a struggle in a nearby sugarcane field, leading investigators to conclude that she had been raped and murdered.
நைட்டி கிழிந்து அரைநிர்வாணமாய் கிடந்த பெண்… சோளக்காட்டுக்குள் சீரழிக்கப்பட்ட கொடூரம்.. வேட்டையாடிய மனிதமிருகங்கள் யார்?#NigazhThagavu #NigazhThagavuonNewsTamil #CrimeStory #NewsTamilCrime #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/iWIcVJhWnM
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) December 28, 2024
The horror does not stop there. In Chennai’s Raja Annamalaipuram, a 47-year-old pastor, T. Kenith Raj, was arrested after a woman accused him of sexual harassment during an attempted exorcism. The victim alleged that the pastor made sexual advances while manipulating her vulnerabilities, threatening harm to her family if she disclosed the incident.
இவர் சென்னை ராஜா அண்ணாமலை புரத்தில் உள்ள ஒரு தேவாலயத்தின் பாதிரியார் கேனிட் ராஜ் சூசை. தனது வீரிய ஜெபத்தால் நடக்க முடியாதவர்களை நடக்க வைப்பார், கண் பார்வை இல்லாதவர்களுக்கு கண்பார்வையை கொண்டு வந்து விடுவார், கால் நடக்க முடியாத நோயாளிகளை ஒலிம்பிக்கில் ஓடும் அளவிற்கு சரி செய்து… pic.twitter.com/GOWcwHHKIG
— Saravanaprasad Balasubramanian (Modi ka Pariwar) (@BS_Prasad) December 29, 2024
Additionally, Mahesh, an employee of a Pentecostal church in Sivagangai, was apprehended after it emerged that he had impregnated a 34-year-old divorced woman whom he had promised to marry. After exploiting her vulnerability and taking advantage of her trust, Mahesh denied any responsibility for both her and the child after the birth, leading to his arrest.
The murky waters of this crisis have expanded with the arrest of Sakthivel, an IT wing functionary of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi party, who was charged with impregnating multiple women in his workplace. One victim, a 25-year-old woman, reported persistent harassment and pressure from Sakthivel, who used his influence to suppress any dissent.
The pervasive violence extends into higher education as well, illustrated by the case of a professor named Ziaudeen from a local arts and science college. He has been booked under the POCSO Act for sexually assaulting a student, making false promises of marriage, and exploiting her financially through theft of money and jewels.
Yet another disturbing case involved 20-year-old nursing student Sowmiya, whose disappearance ended tragically when her body was discovered in a well in Pudukottai district. Allegations have emerged that her death was orchestrated by her alleged lover, Manikandan, raising suspicions of foul play and adding to a growing list of unresolved disappearances and unsolved murders.
#NewsUpdate | பெண் கர்ப்பம் – தேவாலய ஊழியர் கைது#Sivagangai | #Churchfather | #pregnant | #Womencomplaint | #arrested pic.twitter.com/fbpaZIqVOe
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) December 29, 2024
Moreover, on December 21, a nurse at the Aavudaiyarkoil government hospital attempted suicide after being threatened by a local DMK functionary, R. Bharati Raja, who demanded extortion on the grounds of blackmailing her with private images. Despite her desperate pleas for police intervention, the lack of timely action left her feeling helpless and pushed her towards self-harm.
A third-year nursing student Sowmiya (20), who was reported missing, was found dead in a well near Karambakudi in Pudukottai district on December 27, sparking suspicions of foul play. The family of the deceased, however, alleged that she was murdered by her alleged lover, Manikandan, and her body was thrown into the well.
In another incident, on December 21, Aavudaiyarkoil government hospital nurse attempted to end her life after DMK environmental wing functionary R Bharati Raja demanded Rs.10 lakh for not uploading her nude pictures and videos. She took the decision of ending her life after the police failed to take action even after a week.
ஆவுடையார்கோவில் அரசு மருத்துவமனை செவிலியரை நிர்வாணமாக வீடியோ எடுத்து 10 லட்சம் ரூபாய் கேட்டு மிரட்டியுள்ளார் @arivalayam-த்தின் புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்ட சுற்றுச்சூழல் அணி துணை அமைப்பாளர் திரு ரா.பாரதிராஜா.
இதுகுறித்து ஆவுடையார்கோவில் காவல் நிலையத்திலும் புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்ட காவல்… pic.twitter.com/FctYgMfan4
— Vanathi Srinivasan (@VanathiBJP) December 26, 2024
These are only a tip of an iceberg. Under the Dravidian model DMK government crimes against women are on rise besides free flow of narcotics and other crimes.
