Deaf and mute woman sexually harassed, one arrested

Pudukottai: Police are investigating the abduction and sexual harassment of a differently-abled woman daily-wage labourer near Karambakkudi in Pudukottai district on Sunday evening. The survivor, a 35-year-old speech-and-hearing-impaired woman, worked as at a private modern rice mill in Pachchikottai near Alangudi. She used to travel by bus to the work site and back.Sources said that after finishing work on Sunday evening, the woman was waiting for her bus when a car driven by Sekar, 56, a resident of Manakkollai near Karambakkudi, arrived. Marimuthu, 55, also from the same village, was inside the vehicle. The two offered the woman a ride home. It is believed that she initially declined their offer, but they allegedly forced her into the car. Instead of taking her home, they took her to another location. Later in the night, they dropped her off along the roadside in Manakkollai and fled.A police officer passing by noticed a crowd gathered around the woman and intervened, following which Malaiyur police arrived and arranged for an ambulance to transport her. She was taken to the Raniyar govt hospital in Pudukottai. Police apprehended Marimuthu and are currently interrogating him, while search is underway for Sekar, who is absconding. Police were yet to register a case.However, the survivor's family alleged negligence on the part of the hospital in providing proper treatment. "The hospital showed total negligence. They did not provide her a bed, and she was made to lie on the floor," a family member alleged. The woman was treated late in the night at the Raniyar govt hospital and sent home. However, she developed fits early Monday morning, and was brought back to the hospital for further treatment.