Chennai: Concerns over law and order in Tamil Nadu have intensified following a series of violent incidents involving women and minors, alongside political criticism of the state government’s crime data. The developments have triggered protests, political intervention, and questions regarding the reliability of official statistics on serious crimes.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai has alleged a deterioration in the state’s law and order situation, citing multiple recent incidents of sexual assault and violence against minors. Referring to a recent case near Madhuranthakam, he said a 14-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted by a gang, and while the victim has since recovered, another serious incident has been reported involving a college student from Tiruchirappalli who had travelled to Chennai for project work.
According to the allegations highlighted by Annamalai, the college student was reportedly threatened by a group of men, abducted in a car and subjected to sexual assault in Chennai. The incident allegedly occurred about ten minutes away from the residence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, raising further questions about safety in the state capital.
The BJP leader also questioned the crime statistics presented by the Tamil Nadu government, stating that the state Home Secretary recently held a press briefing presenting figures on murder and rape cases for 2024 and 2025. However, Annamalai claimed discrepancies exist between earlier official records and the figures now being cited.
48 மணி நேரத்தில் 12 பாலியல் குற்றங்கள்! திரு. @mkstalin அவர்களே, உங்களின் இருண்ட ஆட்சிக்கு இதுவே இறுதி காலம்! pic.twitter.com/XKU5xiVIYa
— BJP Tamilnadu (@BJP4TamilNadu) March 12, 2026
He pointed to the 2021 data, stating that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded 1,686 murders in Tamil Nadu, whereas the Home Secretary reportedly cited 1,597 cases for the same year. “When data already submitted to the NCRB can be altered, why should anyone trust figures released for 2024 and 2025, which have not yet been formally published?” he asked, also questioning why the Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, had allowed bureaucrats to address the issue.
Yesterday, the DMK govt made the Home Secretary of Tamil Nadu to conduct a press briefing.
We do not trust the data published by the Home Secretary on the Murder & Rape crimes for the years 2024 and 2025. The reason being that in 2021, the reported murder cases as per NCRB were… pic.twitter.com/bUtTwMIWCh
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 13, 2026
Meanwhile, media reports circulating on social media have highlighted a spike in sexual crime reports, with one compilation claiming 12 sexual assault cases reported within 48 hours in Tamil Nadu.
48 மணி நேரத்தில் 12 பாலியல் குற்றங்கள்#Crime #WomenSafety #LawAndOrder #JusticeForWomen #DMKFails #NEWSJ pic.twitter.com/SAiBUOQIyA
— NewsJ (@NewsJTamil) March 12, 2026
Separate protests have also erupted in Thoothukudi district following the murder of a Class 12 student. Members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Women’s Association staged a road blockade at Vedanatham village on the Thoothukudi–Madurai bypass, demanding that authorities identify and arrest the real culprits. Protesters stated that their agitation would continue until justice is delivered.
தூத்துக்குடி, 12-ம் வகுப்பு மாணவியின் கொலை வழக்கில் உண்மை குற்றவாளியை கண்டுபிடிக்கும் வரை எங்களின் போராட்டம் தொடரும் என, தூத்துக்குடி – மதுரை பைபாஸ் சாலையில் குறுக்குச்சாலை விலக்கில் வேடநத்தம் கிராம மக்களுடன் எஸ்.எப்.ஐ மாணவர்கள், ஜனநாயக மாதர் சங்கத்தினர் போராட்டத்தில்… pic.twitter.com/p3ZQwZ5Gcd
— விகடன் (@vikatan) March 12, 2026
Political pressure on the state government has increased with ADMK MP I.S. Inbadurai writing to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking urgent intervention. In his letter, the MP reportedly cited several recent incidents and alleged a collapse of law and order and systemic violence against minor girls in Tamil Nadu, urging the Commission to examine the situation and ensure accountability.
ADMK MP I.S Inbadurai (@IInbadurai) writes to the National Commission for Women seeking urgent intervention over the collapse of law & order and systemic violence against minor girls in Tamilnadu, citing recent shocking incidents & alleging state negligence. #AIADMK #WomenSafety pic.twitter.com/1gJVptr4lZ
— Harish M (@chnmharish) March 12, 2026
In another disturbing case reported from Chennai, police arrested Silambarasan, 21, from Vyasarpadi, for allegedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old sister-in-law, a Class 8 student, in Pulianthope. The accused had married the minor’s elder sister.
MINOR GIRL RAPED IN CHENNAI
A 21-year-old man, Silambarasan of Vyasarpadi, has been arrested for sexually assaulting his 14-year-old sister-in-law, a Class 8 student, in Pulianthope. Silambarasan had married the minor girl’s elder sister.
— A Selvaraj (@Crime_Selvaraj) March 12, 2026
The series of incidents and the debate over official crime statistics have triggered renewed scrutiny of the DMK government’s law and order situation. While opposition parties accuse the CM Stalin of failing to ensure public safety and transparency in crime reporting.
