Chennai: In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old girl in Chennai was abducted and sexually assaulted at knifepoint in a moving autorickshaw. The incident took place late Monday night near the Kilambakkam bus terminus, where the victim, a migrant from Salem, was waiting for a bus to Madhavaram.
According to the police report, the girl reached the Kilambakkam terminus around 11 pm. Since she could not get a bus to her destination and was left alone at the bus stop, she decided to walk to a deserted area near the terminus. An autorickshaw driver offered her a ride, but when she refused, he forcibly pushed her inside. Soon after, two more men entered the vehicle and sexually assaulted her at knifepoint.
The gruesome crime came to light when three assailants threw the girl out of the moving car near Nerkundram when she started screaming for help and the crowd’s attention was drawn towards her. A kind-hearted citizen immediately informed the police and a patrol car reached the spot in no time. Unfortunately, by the time police officials reached the spot, the three culprits had fled and none of the vehicles or assailants have been traced till date.
As it happens, a series of such crimes has further raised the political temperature in Tamil Nadu, especially as it comes right after a highly publicised sexual assault case on the Anna University campus, which kicked up a full-blown controversy. Condemning the rising wave of such crimes, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Tuesday said it is a “disturbing reality” in the state.
In a statement posted on social media, Annamalai highlighted the growing concerns over law and order in Tamil Nadu, particularly linking the rise in sexual assault cases to the easy availability of drugs. Pointing to a significant drop in arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said there were 9,632 arrests in 2021 alone, while the total arrests between 2022 and 2024 were only 1,122. Annamalai accused the MK Stalin government of negligence, saying drug peddlers were being given a free hand in the state.
Concerned about the sale of narcotics such as ganja and methamphetamine, he claims that the safety of women in Tamil Nadu has worsened as a result. The incident has sparked a debate on the safety of women in public places, with calls for strict measures to prevent such crimes. The police are already investigating the suspects, but the case has further fuelled growing demands for urgent improvements in the state’s law enforcement and crime prevention strategies.
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