Four get life for rape of bank staffer at Thanjai

The 26-year-old woman, a native of Rajasthan and a resident of Delhi, had arrived at Kumbakonam via train from Chennai. She reached Kumbakonam station around midnight on December 1, 2018, and hired an autorickshaw outside the railway station, but the driver took her a circuitous route. Sensing something amiss, she questioned the driver and also called up a friend over the phone. The driver immediately dropped her near the Chettimandapam area and sped away.                                                               

Left stranded with her trolley bag, she reportedly asked a bike-borne youth for a lift. He obliged and another man on a bike began trailing the first motorcycle. However, the duo took the woman to a remote area near Naachiaarkoil on Kumbakonam by-pass road and sexually assaulted her. Subsequently, two more men joined them. When she cried for help the perpetrators threatened her with dire consequences.

Later, one of the men accompanied the girl to the main road and hired an autorickshaw in which he also travelled along. He got down at an old fish market while the auto driver dropped the girl at her apartment. She noted the licence number of the auto which dropped her home.

After reporting for duty, the girl told her colleagues about the incident following which her parents were also informed and they rushed to Kumbakonam. Based on a complaint, the Kumbakonam West Police registered a case and through the licence number, they traced the auto driver and he helped them in identifying the rapists.

Based on the complaint by the bank and the victim, the police registered a case under Sections 366 (kidnapping), 354 (molestation), 376 (rape) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) and arrested S Dinesh Kumar (25) of Annai Anjugam Nagar, M Vasantha Kumar (22) of Motilal Street, S Purushothaman (20) of Moopanar Nagar and S Anbarasan (20) of Falima Nagar.

Later, a medical examination was conducted on the victim and the case was progressing at Thanjavur Fast Tract Mahila Court. On Monday, Judge Ezhilarasi, who heard the case, awarded life imprisonment to Vasantha Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Purushothaman and Anbarasan and a fine of Rs 65,000 each. Auto driver Gurumurthy, who dropped the woman in the middle of the road, was awarded seven years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000. The judge also ordered to provide a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the victim out of the money collected from the convicts.