Chennai:
A sessions court in Coimbatore has convicted all nine men accused of sexually assaulting and blackmailing several women in Tamil Nadu’s Pollachi, the trial for which had gripped massive public attention in 2019. Judge R Nandhini Devi found them guilty of gangrape and repeated rape. The punishment will be pronounced at noon. The prosecution has sought life sentences for the convicts.
The convicts are Sabarirajan alias Rishwanth, 32, Thirunavukarasu, 34, T Vasantha Kumar, 30, M Sathish, 33, R Mani alias Manivannan, P Babu, 33, Haron Paul, 32, Arulanantham, 39, and Arun Kumar, 33. They have been lodged at the Salem Central Prison since their arrest in 2019.
This morning, they were brought to the sessions court under heavy police security, while vigilance was also intensified across Coimbatore. The court complex and other key locations were heavily guarded.
During the hearing, the public prosecutor highlighted that the trial was based on over 200 documents and 400 electronic evidence, including forensic-validated videos of the assaults. “The survivors’ testimonies, supported by digital proof, were pivotal. No witnesses turned hostile, and the Witness Protection Act ensured their identities and safety,” he said.
However, he said only eight survivors officially reported the crimes they were subjected to, underscoring societal stigma and fear of retaliation.
Women’s rights activists welcomed the convictions but demanded a systemic follow-through. “This verdict is a relief, but survivors need compensation, counselling, and government job assurances to rebuild their lives,” said a member of the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective.
The Pollachi Case
The Pollachi case had exposed a chilling pattern of exploitation, involving at least eight women, including a college student. The survivors were sexually assaulted, filmed, and blackmailed for sexual favours and money between 2016 and 2018.
The nine men were charged with the stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape, gangrape, repeated rape of the same survivor, criminal conspiracy, sexual harassment, and blackmail.
Officials said that the crimes occurred between 2016 and 2018, during which the convicts filmed their acts of sexual assault and used the footage to coerce victims into continued exploitation.
The case was initially probed by the Pollachi police, but it was transferred to the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), and later to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) amid demands for an impartial inquiry.
During the probe, a pattern of systemic abuse was uncovered, with the survivors alleging that the accused threatened to leak their videos to their families and communities if they refused to comply.
The trial also drew scrutiny as a litmus test for justice in cases of gender-based violence, particularly those involving prolonged coercion and institutional delays. Women’s rights advocates and civil society groups closely monitored the proceedings, emphasising the need for accountability where survivors often face stigma and procedural hurdles.
The AIADMK, which was then in power, had faced criticism for alleged attempts to cover up the case and the late filing of the FIR. It had then denied the charges.
