Coimbatore city police file chargesheet in college woman gangrape case

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore city police on Monday filed a chargesheet before the additional mahila court here in connection with the gang rape of a college woman. The chargesheet was filed through e-filing. According to police sources, the chargesheet contains more than 40 pages and includes 80 witnesses. Around 30 pieces of material evidence were also listed in the chargesheet.

"The potency test report of the three suspects is yet to be received. However, we prepared the chargesheet based on the incidents and statements recorded from the rape survivor and the arrested three-member gang. The case trial will be transferred to the district mahila court soon," said a police officer.

T Karuppusamy alias Satheesh, 30, his brother T Kaleeswaran alias Karthik, 21, both from Singampunari in Sivaganga district, and M Guna alias Thavasi, 20, from Madurai district gang-raped the college woman in an isolated area on the Government Polytechnic College premises Nov 2 night after assaulting her boyfriend.

The police invoked sections 324(4), 140(3), 309(6), read with 311, 70(1), 140(4), 115(2), 74, 76, 127(2), 64(2)(m), 111(2)(b), and 111(4) of the Bharata Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act against the gang-rape case accused.

Meanwhile, the Kovilpalayam police in Coimbatore district are planning to take custody of the three accused in gang-rape case for their alleged involvement in a murder on Nov 2. The three accused are suspected in the murder of M Devaraj, 55, a herder in Kurumbapalayam near Muthugoundenpudur. His body was found at Serayampalayam on Nov 6. On Nov 2, he went to tend goats in the Serayampalayam-Vellanaipatti area and did not return home. His wife, D Lakshmi, lodged a missing person complaint with the Annur police on Nov 5.

When the Coimbatore city police took a one-day custody of the gang-rape accused, they allegedly confessed to having assaulted a man at Serayampalayam on Nov 2, which resulted in his death. According to police sources, the trio stated that on Nov 2, they were sitting in an isolated area at Serayampalayam consuming alcohol when the man approached them with a liquor bottle. Upon seeing them, he questioned their presence there, leading to an altercation. The trio assaulted him and fled the scene.