After harassment, 10-man gang follows Class X girl home, ransacks house, damages vehicles in Tamil Nadu; 5 arrested

CHENNAI: A gang of at least 10 men harassed a Class X girl when she was returning home after her public examination, threatened her brother when he stood up to them, followed the girl till her home and ransacked the house and damaged vehicles in Tiruttani on Monday.

The gang, armed with hammers and logs, smashed window panes of the victim's house and also other houses in Veeraganallur village. They pelted stones, damaged ceiling fans in several houses, and damaged motorcycles and autorickshaws parked in front of homes, creating panic among residents. Before the villagers could catch them, the miscreants escaped. The unruly group, which came on bikes, also performed dangerous stunts, alarming bystanders.

Based on a complaint from residents, Tiruttani police registered a case and arrested five youths—Kishore, 22, Arunkumar, 19, Vijay, 26, Pargunam, 19, and Meganathan, 26, all from VCR Kandigai village. Efforts are underway to trace the remaining five, who are currently absconding. According to police, the Class X student from a govt high school in Amirthapuram travelled by bus to Veeraganallur on Monday afternoon. Her brother later picked her up on a motorcycle to take her home. While they were crossing a forested stretch, some youths made inappropriate comments and made a ruckus. The girl's brother warned them before taking her away.

After the ruckus created by the gang, more than 100 villagers gathered and held a road blockade on the Tiruttani-RK Pet state highway, demanding the immediate arrest of the miscreants. Traffic was disrupted for nearly an hour due to the protest.

After receiving information, a police team rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesters. Following negotiations, the villagers withdrew the blockade.