Pollachi rape case: Court records statements of arrested nine

COIMBATORE: District mahila court judge R Nandhini Devi on Saturday questioned the nine arrested in the 2019 sensational Pollachi rape case under section 313 (power to examine the accused) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2019, the nine – N Rishwanth alias Sabarirajan, K Thirunavukkarasu, T Vasanthakumar, N Sathish, R Manivannan alias Mani, K Arulanantham, Heron Paul, P Babu alias Bike Babu and M Arunkumar, all residents of Pollachi – were spending their days at the Salem Central Prison.

The CBI had earlier filed a chargesheet against the nine, who raped a couple of women and recorded the act using their mobile phones, before the district mahila court in Coimbatore. A week ago, the special public prosecutor of the CBI had examined the witnesses, who were also cross-examined by the defence counsels. The court had then directed the CBI to produce the nine arrested in the case for an examination by the judge.

The Salem city police escorted the nine from the Salem Central Prison and brought them to the district mahila court in Coimbatore around 8.30am on Saturday. Judge Nandhini Devi questioned the nine based on the witness examination and recorded their statements. The questioning session concluded around 4pm. The court proceeding was held in camera, as it was a sensational rape case.

The court later adjourned the trial to April 9, when the argument between the prosecution and the defence counsels will begin. The argument between the two parties is expected to go on for a few weeks. The court is likely to pronounce the judgment in the case in May 2025.