Singapen Special Task Force (SSTF) unit in Tamil Nadu
In the midst of growing crimes against women and children, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay formed the Singapen Special Task Force (SSTF), an all-women police unit, on 9 June with the stated aim of preventing crimes targeted against women and children. However, despite the launch of the force, incidents of sexual assault, abuse, harassment and crimes against women and children continue to be reported across the state.
Critics argue that the SSTF can only monitor and patrol vulnerable areas and has no powers of arrest or prosecution like the regular police force. They contend that the rising number of such incidents raises serious questions about the effectiveness of existing preventive mechanisms and the overall safety environment for women and children in Tamil Nadu.
Some of the incidents witnessed in the recent past in the state are given below:
In a heart-wrenching incident, a three-year-old girl died in Gummidipoondi in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu after she was found with severe injuries from sexual assault. A 19-year-old migrant worker from Bihar has been detained on suspicion.
He allegedly lured her with biscuits before attacking her and abandoning her in the bushes. The parents and local residents failed to locate her and lodged a missing person complaint with the police.
Meanwhile, after media reports quoted local residents alleging that the child was gang raped by four people, the district police issued a denial, stating that the claims were not true.
The Salem City Police arrested 40-year-old M. Manikandan from Puthur Agraharam near Neikkarapatti on charges of sexually abusing women by filming obscene videos of them and then using those recordings to threaten and pressure them to yield to his wishes.
It is alleged that he approached women facing financial difficulties, promising them loans and support. It is learnt that the accused, after earning their confidence, filmed private moments without permission and later used the footage to blackmail them. Kondalampatti Police Station booked a case after outrage erupted on social media, with accusations that the government was supporting him and destroying evidence.
Manikandan is alleged to have abused women and also compelled some of them to meet the demands of his associates. Police booked him under seven sections.
Meanwhile, an audio recording shared by one of the victims spread widely on social media. In the clip, the woman explained that she had come across several obscene videos of other women on Manikandan’s phone and that she had been threatened when she attempted to cut ties with him.
TVK released a statement stating that Manikandan was neither a cadre nor a functionary of the party, contrary to claims made by some people. The case is being compared by some observers to the Pollachi sexual assault scandal of 2019, which rocked Tamil Nadu during the AIADMK regime.
DMK Deputy General Secretary and MP Kanimozhi, on 13 June, expressed shock over allegations that a TVK member in Salem threatened, sexually abused and filmed more than 50 women. She said the allegations were disturbing and urged the state government to take stringent action against those involved.
St. Thomas Mount Police arrested TVK functionary Vembuli (Alandur North area TVK functionary) for allegedly sexually harassing a 43-year-old woman in charge of a corporation-run gymnasium. The woman alleged that Vembuli repeatedly made sexual advances and threatened to have her removed from her job if she refused to comply with his demands. Later, the party announced that he had been removed.
Balasubramaniam (35), TVK’s Thoothukudi West Youth Wing member, and Jeyabal (28), a TVK party functionary from Ramanathapuram district, were arrested by the Srivaikuntam All Women Police in Thoothukudi district for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman after luring her with a promise of employment.
According to reports, the woman, a resident of the Srivaikuntam area, was taken by the accused in a car on 3 May on the pretext of helping her secure a job. The two allegedly took her to Ervadi in Ramanathapuram district and provided her with a drink mixed with a sedative. The woman allegedly lost consciousness after consuming the drink, following which the accused sexually assaulted her.
Leader of Opposition Udhaya Nidhi Stalin, on 11 June, demanded the immediate removal of TVK MLA from Srivaikundam G. Saravanan for allegedly backing TVK functionaries. He questioned whether Chief Minister Vijay was concerned about women’s safety. He alleged that the “sofa model government” was trying to cover up the issue. He further stated that while launching the Singapen Special Task Force, the Chief Minister had expressed anguish over incidents of sexual abuse, but his government was acting against the victim instead of those accused.
DMK MP Kanimozhi, in a post, said: “At a time when women’s safety has become a major concern, when will Chief Minister Vijay realise that he is the one in power and act responsibly, instead of blaming the DMK, as he did during the election campaign?”
In June, police arrested 25-year-old Sanjay for sexually assaulting an 80-year-old woman near Uthankarai in Krishnagiri district. The accused was allegedly in an inebriated state while committing the crime, police said.
Lokesh (23), a delivery worker, was arrested for sexually assaulting a 31-year-old woman at her house in Aminjikarai.
Police arrested seven men, including a 16-year-old minor, for robbing, stripping and sexually assaulting couples who halted for rest on the Girivalam path in Thiruvannamalai. The gang reportedly filmed the incident. When the victim reached home, the gang threatened to upload the videos on social media. She lodged a complaint, and based on CCTV footage, police arrested them. The gang is alleged to have indulged in similar crimes earlier as well.
A 43-year-old C. Mari Selvam, a taxi driver, was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Tiruchi. He allegedly visited the victim’s friend’s house on the evening of 3 June under the influence of alcohol, kidnapped the girl and sexually assaulted her before dropping her near her home.
An 80-year-old Chellappan was arrested on 2 June under the POCSO Act for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Ambattur while she was playing with his granddaughter. He also allegedly threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone.
Tirunelveli POCSO Special Court sentenced 59-year-old pastor Selvaraj to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 for sexually abusing a seven-year-old girl in 2020.
A head constable attached to Arumuganeri Police Station in Thoothukudi district was suspended for sending obscene messages to a woman who had come to lodge a complaint. She uploaded an audio clip of their conversation on social media.
TVK party member Vinith Muthuraj (23) was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a Plus Two student while she was alone at her home.
After a video went viral on social media, police arrested an Anganwadi worker on June 5 after she was caught on camera attempting to cover a child with a gunny bag in a bid to make him stop crying after he had been left at the Anganwadi centre in Pavoorchatram by his parents.
The video was shot by a passer-by on his mobile phone. BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan urged the Tamil Nadu government to review the functioning of Anganwadi centres.
It is a matter of major concern that Tamil Nadu recorded 419 rape cases in 2024, besides 24 cases under sexual intercourse by deceitful means and 33 cases of attempted rape.
