According to police sources, S Purushothaman (19), S Anbarasan (20), S Dinesh (24) and M Vasanth (21), have been arrested. A case under Sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 366 (kidnapping), 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the India Penal Code (IPC) have been registered.
Police sources say, Meena (name changed) was a native of Rajasthan but was residing in Delhi. She took a train from Chennai and reached Kumbakonam on the wee hours of December 3. She had come to the town to join a bank as a trainee. She took an auto from Kumbakonam railway station to reach her destination. The driver took a circular route and Meena questioned him. He dropped her in Chettimandapam area and sped away.
The victim then asked a biker for lift and he obliged. The biker along with another youth took the woman to a remote area near Naachiaarkoil on Kumbakonam Bypass Road and sexually assaulted her. The duo was joined by two others. They threatened to kill the woman if she called out for help.
After the incident, one of the men walked the woman till the main road and put her in an auto. He travelled with her and used the auto driver’s mobile phone to make calls to his friends. He got down at the Old Fish Market and was picked up by his friends. The auto driver then dropped the woman at her place. On reaching her destination, Meena noted down the auto’s registration number and filed a complaint with the Kumbakonam West police station. With the registration number, the police tracked down the four men and arrested them on Wednesday.
The survivor has since been sent for medical examination, while the accused are currently in police custody.
