According to reports, the victim, a Coimbatore resident, had established an online relationship with the accused through social media. Over time, their virtual connection developed into a friendship. However, the situation took a sinister turn when the accused invited the girl to a room in Kuniyamuthur, where she was gang-raped by the seven college students.
The girl’s grandmother became alarmed when she did not return home at the expected time and filed a missing person’s report at the Ukkadam police station. The police initiated an investigation, which uncovered the chilling details of the crime.
As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that the girl had been subjected to sexual harassment by the college students. The police have filed charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and all seven students involved have been arrested.
The case has sparked outrage throughout Coimbatore, with local residents demanding immediate justice for the victim. The incident has also raised serious concerns about the safety of women and children in the city, underlining the need for greater vigilance and measures to ensure their protection.
In a similar incident near Pollachi in Coimbatore district, two schoolgirls and a schoolboy were subjected to repeated sexual assaults by four minors and an 18-year-old youth. The police arrested three of the minors and the youth on 14 February 2025, seizing mobile phones believed to have recorded the incidents.
According to reports, the victims hailing from a nearby village, were assaulted around five times over recent months. The suspects, known to watch inappropriate content on their phones, allegedly forced the victims into these acts. The victims’ families, from less privileged backgrounds, were initially hesitant to report the incidents. Villagers intervened by contacting ChildLine (1098), leading to a police case under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Three minors were taken into custody and sent to an observation home, while the youth was placed in judicial custody. One minor is still at large, and efforts are ongoing to locate him.