FIR after 12 days; accused released without registering case in Pollachi case: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Principal opposition party AIADMK's attempt to gain one-upmanship over the ruling DMK vis-à-vis the Anna sexual assault case seemingly backfired in the House after Chief Minister MK Stalin offered a blow-by-blow account of the infamous Pollachi sex racket case dating back to the previous AIADMK regime and said that the previous government led by Edappadi Palaniswami tried to bury the case.

Lambasting the AIADMK-led opposition for ‘politicising the sensitive case for narrow political gains’, Chief Minister Stalin told the State Assembly that the AIADMK sought to cover up and protect the accused in the Pollachi sex racket case in which FIR was registered 12 days after the complaint.

Replying in detail to the Special Call Attention Motion moved on the issue in the House, Stalin said, "People speaking on the matter without conscience must recall the Pollachi sexual assault case. A gang engaged in repeated sexual offences against not just one woman, but many, for two years. The AIADMK did not initiate any action on the issue."

"The truth surfaced only after the CBI took over the case probe. One of the affected women complained to her brother. He nabbed four accused and handed them over to the Pollachi town police and lodged complaints regarding sexual offences, illegal videography and chain snatching. The police did not register any case. They released all the accused. This was the state of law and order in the government of the then Chief Minister SIR, " added Stalin.

Informing the House that the complaint of the woman victim in the Pollachi case was handed over to the accused, the Chief Minister said, "Subsequently, AIADMK functionary V Nagaraja attacked the brother of the victim. No action was initiated against that complaint either. When the issue snowballed, instead of arresting the key accused Thirunavukkarasu, they tried to bury the case by arresting three others. But a CBI probe confirmed that an AIADMK functionary ran the entire Pollachi sex scam."

Stalin said, "To protect them, the AIADMK engaged in a cover-up drama. That's why I said then that Pollachi was proof of the atrocious government. The SIRs who ran the anti-women government are now wearing badges in the House and one left mid-session. I can raise a hundred 'SIR' questions against the AIADMK. The former CM and incumbent LoP has forgotten his capacity and responsibility, and demonstrated how low he can stoop politically by wearing the badge, " Stalin added.

"It took 12 days to register an FIR in the Pollachi sex racket case. But in the Chennai student case, the FIR was registered immediately and the accused was arrested in a few hours. They are covering up all this for political reasons," the CM reasoned. Upset over the CM going on the offensive against their past regime, black shirt and 'Who's the Sir" badge sporting AIADMK MLAs briefly raised objections in the House to such an extent that a few statements of the CM were buried in the din. Eventually, they exited the House in protest.