TVK's Aadhav Arjuna condemns Coimbatore gang rape incident; calls for women's safety and strict action

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 3 (ANI): Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) General Secretary of Election Campaign Management, Aadhav Arjuna, expressed deep shock and condemnation over the alleged gang rape of a college student in Coimbatore on Sunday night.
He called for the identification of the perpetrators and demanded severe punishment for them.
In a post on X, he shared, "The news that a college student in Coimbatore has become a victim of gang rape and violence has caused immense shock. A student studying at a college in Coimbatore was talking with her friend near the Coimbatore airport last Sunday night. At that moment, three individuals who arrived there in an inebriated state severely assaulted the student's friend who was seated in a car and abducted her. Subsequently, they engaged in gang rape and violence in the same area. After a long time, the male friend, regaining consciousness, informed the Peelamedu police station through his cell phone. The police who arrived at the scene rescued the student and sent her to the hospital."
He said that this incident served as yet another proof of the unsafe situation that has now arisen in Tamil Nadu, to the extent that women cannot move freely in public spaces.
"It is the duty of the government not only to ensure women's safety but also to create a secure environment where they can travel in public without fear. However, starting from the sexual violence inflicted on a student at Anna University in Tamil Nadu, the trend of crimes against women continuing to increase day by day has instilled fear among women towards this government. As a result of these criminal acts, the widespread use of alcohol and narcotic substances--which are the cause of most violence--prevails unabated across Tamil Nadu. A suspicion arises whether the police force, which should control this, is merely watching it as a spectacle," he said.
"We request that the affected student, who is undergoing treatment in the hospital, recover soon, and that the perpetrators be swiftly identified, arrested, and ensured severe punishment before the law," he further shared.
Expressing concern, Aadhav Arjuna said that this shocking incident once again highlights the increasingly unsafe environment for women in Tamil Nadu, where they are unable to move freely without fear. He criticised the government, stating that ensuring women's safety and creating a secure public space is a fundamental responsibility of any administration.
He further pointed out that incidents of sexual violence against women, beginning from the Anna University student case, have been rising steadily in the State, causing fear and insecurity among women. He blamed the rampant use of alcohol and drugs across Tamil Nadu for such violent crimes and questioned whether the police were taking adequate steps to curb them.
He prayed for the victim's speedy recovery and urged the authorities to swiftly arrest the culprits and ensure they face the strictest punishment under the law. (ANI)