In a shocking incident, a 33-year-old SC woman was gang-raped by four persons near Melur in Madurai district on the night of July 8.
While the police swiftly acted in the case and arrested five people, including the four rapists, the Evidence, has demanded the government to book the accused under the Goondas Act.
A fact-finding team from the Evidence visited the spot and met the victim.
Speaking to The Hindu, Evidence executive director A. Kathir said on Tuesday that the woman was under total shock, pain and mental agony.
She requires treatment and counselling as she has not been taking proper food since the horrifying incident.
It is said that the woman, a native of Tiruchuli, in Virudhunagar district, was separated from her husband recently. Hence, she lived in Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district. A neighbour woman had told the victim that there was a job prospect in Melur in Madurai district and had given her a contact number.
A person, identifying himself as Karuppusamy, had called the victim and told her that he works in Singapore and that the victim needs to stay in his house and take care of his mother. He had promised a salary of ₹40,000 per month.
Believing it to be true, the victim reached Melur on July 8 and waited near the Taluk Office. After about some five hours, Karuppusamy had claimed that he was stuck in some work and that his brother Gopalakrishnan would come to pick her up.
A youth came on a two-wheeler and picked up the woman to a secluded spot, where three other men brandished knives and raped her.
As some vehicles were moving, the accused left the spot after stealing her four-gram gold chain and a pair of silver anklet.
Unable to even walk and in the darkness, the victim managed to reach the main road, where a policeman took her to the All Woman Police Station.
The AWPS Inspector Malaiarasi was appreciated for her swift action.
The police registered a case under Sections 115 (2), 191 (2), 309 (6), 651 (2) and 70 (1) of BNS Act 2023. Based on the victim’s narration, they tracked the mobile of one of the accused, which paved the way in securing all of them.
The names of the arrested persons were given as Veerapandi, Vineeth, Aravind, Selvakumar and Gopalakrishnan. The key accused Veerapandi had given a false name as Karuppusamy, it was found in the probe.
Evidence has demanded the government to give a compensation of ₹12 lakh to the victim. The woman in Paramakudi, who had been instrumental in pushing the victim to Madurai, should also be arrested. All the accused should be booked under the Goondas Act. The victim should be given treatment and at least for a year, she must be given a financial assistance of ₹20,000 per month, Mr. Kathir said.
Published - July 14, 2026 08:53 pm IST