Chennai: An 18-year-old girl from Bengal was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving auto-rickshaw in Chennai. The incident occurred around 11 pm on Tuesday when the woman, travelling from Salem to Chennai was waiting for a bus to Madhavaram at Kilambakkam bus terminus.
She was allegedly forced to get into an auto with a promise that she would be dropped off at Madhavaram. However, the auto allegedly stopped after a short distance and two other individuals got into the vehicle. The duo allegedly misbehaved with her.
Onlookers heard her screaming, who then immediately alerted the police. The three accused dropped her off at Koyambedu and fled from the spot. Upon receiving the information, the cops found the girl and the search is underway to arrest all the three accused.
The police have been investigating CCTV footage from over 20 locations throughout the route to identify the men and track them down.
Tambaram city police have recorded the girl's statement. Efforts are being made to determine if she was kidnapped or if she voluntarily took the auto ride.
Following the incident, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai criticised the MK Stalin-led DMK government, stating that sexual assault had become a "horrifying reality"* in the state.
Citing a recent incident, Annamalai said, "An 18-year-old girl was abducted in an auto rickshaw outside the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus in Kilambakkam and was sexually assaulted. She was saved by a good samaritan who alerted the police control room after hearing her cries for help."
He further alleged that the increasing availability of drugs was worsening the situation, while the number of arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act had significantly declined.
"Between 2022 and 2024, only 1,122 arrests were made in NDPS cases, compared to 9,632 arrests in 2021 alone. The sale of Ganja and Methamphetamine is on the rise in Tamil Nadu, yet arrests are decreasing. How? Has the TN government deliberately become complacent to give drug peddlers a free run?" he questioned in a post on X.