Coimbatore gang rape: 3 accused shot at and arrested after police encounter

Police arrested three men accused of gang-raping a college student near Coimbatore airport; the accused were shot in the legs while trying to escape and later taken to a government hospital

The Coimbatore Police on Tuesday arrested three men accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old college student in a suburb near Coimbatore International Airport. City Police Commissioner Saravana Sundar confirmed the arrests, identifying the accused as Guna, Karuppasamy, and Karthik alias Kaleeswaran. 

The men were shot in the leg during an encounter with police while attempting to escape custody. A head constable was also injured during the exchange. The accused were later taken to the Coimbatore Government Hospital for treatment.

How the incident unfolded

The attack took place on Sunday night when the student and her male friend were near the airport area. According to police reports, the three men arrived in a vehicle, assaulted the male friend and abducted the woman. They allegedly raped her and later abandoned her in a nearby location. 

After regaining consciousness, the victim’s friend alerted the Peelamedu Police Station, prompting a rescue operation. The police reached the scene, rescued the survivor and admitted both the student and her friend to the hospital. 

 

  Accused shot at while trying to flee

On Monday, special police teams surrounded the accused. When they were cornered, the trio allegedly attacked the officers with sickles, injuring a head constable. 

As the accused tried to escape, the police reportedly fired at their legs to stop them. 

“The accused were trying to escape from the spot when the police had to shoot them in the leg in Vellakinaru, on the outskirts of Coimbatore city. The injured accused are Guna, Karuppasamy, and Karthik alias Kaleeswaran. All the accused have been sent to GH Coimbatore. A head constable was also injured in the encounter,” Commissioner Saravana Sundar told ANI. 

Following the incident, the three accused were taken into custody and admitted to the Coimbatore District Government Hospital.

Political leaders visit the site, question police

Bharatiya Janata Party’s National President of Mahila Morcha Vanathi Srinivasan visited the site of the crime and criticised the police for describing the area as “remote”. “We are standing at the location where the incident happened yesterday. The car window was broken, and she was taken to a nearby area. This is not a remote location; residential colonies are nearby, and people have easy access to this area,” Srinivasan told news agency ANI. 

She alleged that the area had become a hub of anti-social activities and said it was the responsibility of the police and local administration to ensure public safety.

  BJP state president K Annamalai also condemned the incident, saying it highlighted the state’s deteriorating law and order situation.

  “Since the DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu, incidents such as these have shown that anti-social elements no longer fear the law or the police,” he said in a post on X. “From DMK ministers to police officials, there has been a disturbing pattern of shielding sexual offenders instead of ensuring justice. The DMK government has utterly failed in both preventing sexual crimes and providing safety for women.”

Coimbatore case: Investigation underway

The assault near a high-security zone has triggered widespread outrage in Coimbatore. The police have formed seven special teams to investigate the case and track the movements of the accused before and after the attack. 

Authorities said all three suspects are currently under police custody and further interrogation is ongoing.

 

(With agency inputs)