In Tamil Nadu, crimes against women and children continue to go untrammelled despite Chief Minister M K Stalin claiming it is the safest place in the entire Bharat. The ground realities never match the data of the statecraft.
Let us see some select incidents that occurred this year, starting from January 2026 till date.
In Tiruvallur Municipality Ward 6 DMK councillor Prabakharan, along with his associate Thiagu (advocate), were arrested by police for allegedly sexually harassing an IndiGo air hostess on a Chennai–Delhi flight.
According to reports, the incident occurred on February 25 when an IndiGo flight was preparing to depart from Chennai to Delhi. In her complaint, the 25-year-old cabin crew member stated that the two men, addressed her inappropriately as she walked down the aisle performing her duties. They allegedly spoke to her disrespectfully, questioned her about her hometown, teased her and patted her on the back of her thigh, amounting to sexual harassment.
To the growing roll call of DMK functionaries – Gnanasekaran, Periyanayagam, Praveen, Ekambaram, Kannan, Kathiresan, Hariharan, Junaid, Kavidasan, Pakkirisamy, Kalliappan, Muthusamy, and many others, now joins another name: Prabhakaran.
Tiruvallur DMK councillor Prabhakaran has… pic.twitter.com/PXTANFyfzu
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 3, 2026
Annamalai, in a post, commented: “To the growing roll call of DMK functionaries, Gnanasekaran, Periyanayagam, Praveen, Ekambaram, Kannan, Kathiresan, Hariharan, Junaid, Kavidasan, Pakkirisamy, Kalliappan, Muthusamy, and many others now joins another name: Prabhakaran. Tiruvallur DMK councillor Prabhakaran has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing an air hostess aboard an IndiGo flight en route to Delhi. Incidentally, DMK’s election rhetoric is that it will never let Tamil Nadu hang its head down. But their actions are always contradictory!”
In another incident, M. Periyanayagam, a DMK Youth Wing branch secretary of Jesurajapuram in Anchetty of Krishnagiri district, was arrested for sexually assaulting a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler and her subsequent death.
Now this is really shocking!
The 2 year old toddler was raped by this DMK guy and she died on December 11th .
He was arrested only yesterday. After 75 days of the child's death and complaints by her father .
The ruling government made sure the news of the rape and death don't… pic.twitter.com/BnypWXRYvG
— Shalin Maria Lawrence (@TheBluePen25) February 28, 2026
Periyanayagam had an extramarital affair with a woman who had separated from her husband. She had a daughter. He had allegedly assaulted her sexually when she was away from home, inflicting injuries on the victim.
On December 11, the victim’s mother took her to a private hospital, which declared the child brought dead. After an alert from the hospital, police arrested the 40-year-old under the POCSO Act for the sexual assault and death of the girl. He is booked for inflicting fatal injuries and remanded in judicial custody.
Chennai Aynavaram police arrested Vijay on February 27 for sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl at her residence. When she was playing inside her home, Vijay entered the house and committed the sexual assault. He was remanded to Puzhal prison.
Based on complaints from District Child Protection Officer-in-charge Sandhya, four staff members of a government-aided girls’ home were arrested on March 1, two days after more than 80 inmates were shifted on February 28 to other homes following complaints of verbal and physical abuse and negligence. The arrested were identified as S. Uma (superintendent), Tamil Arasi (warden), Benziah Roslin (counsellor) and Asha Banu (cook).
Annai Ashramam on Wireless Road is run by TN Pengal Nala Sangam and supported through a government grant-in-aid. It housed girls from Classes 1 to 12 who had been placed there by the Child Welfare Committee as Children in Need of Care and Protection under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Officials said: “We received complaints that the children were not properly cared for and were subjected to verbal abuse and threats. When we revisited the home, the complaints were repeated. Based on the statements of the children, we found sufficient grounds to take action.”
Police arrested Jobin Solomon, a maths teacher in a private school in Palayamkottai, on charges of sexually harassing minor girl students under the POCSO Act. He was teaching mathematics to students in Classes 9, 10 and 11, following complaints from students of his touching them in an inappropriate manner both inside and outside the classroom. He also posted inappropriate messages to students during late-night hours.
In Nandanam Government Arts College, a 20-year-old girl from an economically weaker section was raped multiple times by the canteen owner, his friend, a parotta master and another person. The girl escaped from their clutches and reported the case to the police, which Organiser weekly has covered extensively.
A ten-year-old girl went to a nearby shop within Kolathur Police Station limits on January 31 evening to buy something. The shop owner Murugan (64) sexually harassed her. Based on the victim’s account, her 30-year-old mother lodged a complaint and the accused was booked under the POCSO Act and arrested.
In another incident, Vignesh, a Madipakkam-based private ashram employee, while collecting old used clothes from households for the homes they run, misbehaved with a 12-year-old girl. The accused, a resident of Redhills PD Maruthi Nagar, was arrested under the POCSO Act.
Nagarajan sexually harassed the 15-year-old daughter of his live-in partner, a 35-year-old woman, in Alandur. The victim’s mother sells fruits through a pushcart. Nagarajan was booked under the POCSO Act and arrested.
Thanjavur police arrested seven persons, including three juveniles, for sexually harassing a 17-year-old minor, a resident of Ayyampettai near Thanjavur. The girl had fallen in love with Surendar Pandian (21), who sexually harassed her and ended the relationship. Later, she became friends with an 18-year-old boy from the area and also Jayasudan (24) from Pasupathi Koil. Following health issues, doctors tested her and found she was six months pregnant. During the probe, it came to light that besides the 18-year-old boy and Jayasudan, their friends Shanmugam (21), Ashok (21), ex-lover Surendar Pandian and two minors were involved. They were arrested under the POCSO Act. Search is on to apprehend Viswanathan, who is evading arrest.
Police arrested 21-year-old Raghupathy for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl from Singapore who had come to celebrate the Pongal festival in Kallakurichi along with her mother. The incident occurred on January 23. During medical examination, doctors confirmed rape. Based on a complaint, police booked a case under the POCSO Act. He was later absconding.
A 15-year-old girl from Chengalpattu died at a government hospital in Chennai following sepsis and multi-organ failure two weeks after she gave birth to a dead three-month-old foetus on 14th January. Initial police probe revealed she was sexually assaulted by her neighbour, aged about 30.
Police arrested 29-year-old Muniandi, who abducted a 16-year-old minor and took her to Thenkanikottai, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her. He was already married. The victim’s mother, a construction worker separated from her husband and mother of two daughters, lodged a missing person complaint. She alleged police delayed action but traced her following pressure from a women’s outfit. On questioning, the girl stated Muniandi raped her and another person also assaulted her. They became acquainted after a missed call that led to the nightmarish experience. He was arrested under the POCSO Act.
In another incident, 30-year-old Fire and Rescue Services cadre Sasikumar was arrested for raping his relative’s daughter after promising to marry her. He also threatened to upload their intimate pictures. Katpadi police registered a case under the POCSO Act.
A four-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered by a man who was having an affair with her mother in Thoothukudi district. When the mother went shopping, Esakki, under whose care she left the child, allegedly assaulted her. On return, she found the girl unconscious. Doctors declared her brought dead. Autopsy confirmed sexual assault. He was charged under the POCSO Act and BNSS for murder.
First-year engineering student Harshavardhan (18) attacked his 17-year-old classmate with a knife at a private college near Saravanampatti in Coimbatore on 22nd January following a verbal argument. The girl sustained serious injuries on her neck and hands and was admitted to hospital. He objected to her talking to other boys. Both had been in a relationship for the past six years.
Police arrested Thanjavur resident Prasad (34), son of church pastor James Raja, for marrying three women after concealing earlier marriages. It is alleged he married seven women.
Manalmelkudi police registered a case against three Jamaath functionaries for allegedly forcing a Muslim woman, Serina, to lift her face veil during a food distribution event on 18th January. They were booked after a video went viral.
Police said two college students, Anbarasan (18) and Haneesh, first-year BA students of Ambedkar Government Arts College in Vyasarpadi, were attacked with machetes near Thiruvalangadu in Tiruvallur district on 20th January after questioning reckless bike riders.
A burqa-clad woman attacked a patient’s attender, Rani (65), at ESI Hospital in KK Nagar on 10th January after failing to snatch her gold chain. She attacked Rani with a hammer and fled.
Three men were arrested on 13th January on charges of attempting to murder a 25-year-old man in Trichy.
In another incident in Mettupalayam, a DMK trade union functionary allegedly forced a Dalit branch manager to follow his diktats and later arranged for the office to be washed with cow dung as a so-called purification ritual. He has been suspended and further probe is underway.
Five persons, including former district-level DMK functionary Rathnabalan (40), were arrested in Tirunelveli in an illegal arms case.
Former BJP state president K Annamalai posted on X that the arrest was a chilling reminder of deep-rooted rot and accused the DMK of becoming a haven for unlawful elements.
