Coimbatore: In a landmark judgment, the Sessions Court in Coimbatore convicted all nine accused in the high-profile Pollachi sexual assault and blackmail case, delivering life sentences to each of them. The case, which gained national attention in 2019, involves the sexual exploitation and blackmail of multiple women over a span of several years.
Judge R. Nandini Devi sentenced eight of the accused to seven years in prison after finding them guilty of gang rape. The remaining nine convicts, including Sabarirajan alias Rishwanth, Thirunavukkarasu, T Vasanth Kumar, M Satheesh, R Mani alias Manivannan, P Babu, Haroon Paul, Arulanandham, and Arun Kumar, were handed life sentences for their roles in criminal conspiracy, repeated sexual assault, and blackmail.
Pollachi sexual assault case: Mahila Court in Coimbatore convicts all 9 accused, sentences them to life imprisonment. Judge R. Nandhini Devi pronounced the quantum of sentence, after hearing the prosecution and defence arguments. pic.twitter.com/jH3L7Vemmk
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The court heard how the accused filmed explicit videos of their victims, blackmailed them for money, and exploited them sexually between 2016 and 2018. The case came to light in 2019 when eight women came forward to file complaints, though law enforcement suspects that many more victims may have been coerced into silence.
During the trial, the prosecution presented over 200 documents and 400 electronic evidence pieces, including forensically validated videos of the assaults. The convicted individuals were arrested in 2019 and have been held at Salem Central Prison since their detention. The police have confirmed that the victims were repeatedly harassed and extorted using the videos, which were used as leverage to demand money.
The court’s decision has drawn significant attention, highlighting the ongoing need for justice and systemic reforms in handling sexual violence cases across the country.