Pollachi sexual assault case: Two senior policemen transferred; order states no posting

Pollachi: The Tamil Nadu government has transferred police officials who handled the Pollachi sexual harassment case, including the Superintendent of Police who revealed the identity of the victim.

According to a Home Department order, Coimbatore SP R Pandiarajan and DSP, Pollachi sub-division, R Jayaram, have been transferred with “immediate effect.” Further, A. Natesan, Inspector, Pollachi East police station, has also been transferred, it said. The order allocated no postings to them, virtually putting them in the waiting list.

Sujit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic), Coimbatore City has been posted in place of Mr Pandiarajan, while KG Sivakumar, DSP, District Crime Records Bureau, Ooty, will replace Mr Jayaram.

The Pollachi sexual harassment case came to light in February when a woman was convinced to meet one of a four-member gang, outside her college.

She met the man and got inside his car, where three others were also hiding. The man began to strip her and sexually abuse her while the three others were filming the act.

The girl filed a complaint against the four perpetrators and upon investigating, the police found that the gang had been actively involved in such incidents for over two years.

The gang’s modus operandi was to befriend women on social media and then convince them to meet in person.

The gang would then make videos with the women. If the videos were filmed with consent, then it would be used to blackmail them for money and jewellery.

Eight persons have been arrested so far in connection with the case.

Last month, the government transferred the investigation of the case to the CBI from the State’s CB-CID, which had earlier taken up the probe from the local police.

The case assumed political overtones since a local functionary of the ruling AIADMK allegedly attacked the victim’s brother.

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