TN woman's case sent to CB-CID, police invoke Goondas Act

Tightening the screws on a gang that allegedly sexually harassed and blackmailed a 19-year-old woman, police Tuesday transferred the case for probe by Crime Branch-CID and slapped Goondas Act on four of the accused.

The harassment case saw the ruling AIADMK pushed onto the backfoot as one of its local functionaries allegedly attacked the victim's brother triggering an outrage with opposition parties latching on to it ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The AIADMK subsequently expelled the functionary who was later arrested in the assault case.

"We have transferred the Pollachi woman harassment case to the CB-CID," a top State police official told PTI.

Coimbatore District Collector Rajamani ordered detention of the accused under the Goondas Act following recommendations by Superintendent of Police R Pandiarajan.

The four accused --Thirunavakkarasu, Sathish, Sabariraj and Vasanthkumar- lodged in a jail have already been booked under various sections of the IPC and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.

They will now face the Goondas Act as well which authorises detention upto a year.

Seeking to up the ante on the issue, the DMK led a demonstration at Pollachi in Coimbatore District.

Led by its Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, the outfit's cadres, including women, demanded tough action in the case.

Some women raised slogans like "Render justice," and Where is our security?