The Pollachi case had exposed a chilling pattern of exploitation, involving at least eight women, including a college student
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.
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