In a scathing critique of the Tamil Nadu government’s handling of women’s safety, prominent actress and BJP member Kasturi Shankar has lambasted the state police’s delayed response to the horrific gang rape of a 20-year-old postgraduate student near Coimbatore International Airport earlier this week. Her remarks, delivered during a public address, highlight growing public outrage over the incident and accuse authorities of prioritizing political vendettas over urgent criminal investigations.
The assault occurred late on November 2, when the victim and her boyfriend were parked in their car in the deserted Brindhavan Nagar area behind the airport. Three men on a stolen moped smashed the vehicle’s windshield, assaulted the boyfriend, and abducted the woman, subjecting her to a brutal gang rape in a secluded spot. The boyfriend, injured and seeking help, alerted police around 11 p.m., but the victim was not located until approximately 4 a.m. the next day, after she had desperately knocked on neighbors’ doors and local residents filed complaints. The perpetrators fled, abandoning the moped, but were apprehended later that night in Vellakinar near Thudiyalur following a police encounter in which they were shot in the legs while attempting to escape. The accused—identified as Sathish, Guna, and Karthik from Madurai district—remain in custody at Coimbatore Government Hospital.
Kasturi, known for her roles in Tamil cinema and her vocal support for BJP campaigns, used the platform to question the efficacy of the state’s law enforcement. “If three people steal a vehicle and go to Coimbatore without any obstacle, is this law & order?” she asked rhetorically, pointing to the ease with which the assailants traversed districts unchallenged. She further alleged that such crimes are rampant in the region, with no preventive police presence: “You know that such crimes are happening in these areas. No police came till the crime happened.”
Highlighting the agonizing delay post-complaint, Kasturi detailed the victim’s ordeal: “After having received the complaint, for 4 hours… that lady has knocked on the doors and then the neighbourhood had complained. The affected male had sought medical help. And then for 4.5 hours.” She slammed the DMK making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the party’s flagship “Namakku Naame” (We for Ourselves) campaign, arguing that these instances undermines public faith in the government. “Even in cases of such urgency, if we have to follow ‘Namakku Naame’, the trust in the govt is losing. I am asking you openly,” she declared, framing the incident as a symptom of systemic failure.
In a sharp critique of selective enforcement, Kasturi highlighted the stark contrast between the sluggish response in Coimbatore and the swift action taken against a 75-year-old retired police officer-turned-YouTuber, as well as against herself.
Earlier this year, a special police team was dispatched to Hyderabad to arrest her over controversial remarks on the Telugu-speaking community, a case she views as politically motivated. “You’re arresting a 75-year-old YouTuber and for Kasturi you form a special team and come to Hyderabad. The speed at which the special team came to Hyderabad couldn’t go to Coimbatore?” she quipped, referencing the swift interstate operation that led to her brief detention in November 2024.
“என்னை பிடிக்க காட்டுன வேகத்தை கோவை விஷயத்துல கட்டிருக்கலாம்”#dmk | #coimbatore | #cbe | #tamiljanam | #newsupdate | #girlissue | #tnpolice | #tamilnadu | #tngovt #coimbatoreissue pic.twitter.com/SQB11yeb3R
— Tamil Janam (@TamilJanamNews) November 8, 2025
Kasturi’s comments come amid widespread protests across Coimbatore, with BJP cadres, led by Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, staging demonstrations outside the South Taluk office on November 3, condemning the DMK regime for failing to ensure women’s safety. Other parties, including AIADMK and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), have joined the chorus, with NTK chief Seeman linking the crime to unchecked illegal liquor sales near the airport. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan described the attack as a “cruel act that should not happen to any woman,” while Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condemned it as “inhuman” and ordered a charge sheet filed within a month, promising the “highest punishment” for the accused.The survivor’s trauma continues, as she has been unable to identify her attackers from over 60 mugshots shown by investigators, who are now probing migrant labor clusters in the city. Tamil Nadu Women’s Commission Chairperson A.S. Kumari visited the victim at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on November 4, assuring her of justice and comprehensive support.
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