Coimbatore: On Tuesday, the Coimbatore Mahila Court in Tamil Nadu sentenced all nine accused in the widely condemned Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case to life imprisonment.

The Pollachi sexual assault case, now back in the headlines after a Tamil Nadu sessions court convicted all nine accused on May 13, 2025, remains one of the most disturbing examples of systematic sexual violence and blackmail in India’s recent memory. This case not only exposed the depths of organised abuse targeting women but also brought into focus the failings of institutional response, the misuse of political power, and the enduring stigma that deters survivors from speaking out.

Pattern of abuse: A pre-planned trap

Between 2016 and 2018, a gang of men operated a sexual assault and extortion racket in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. Their modus operandi was chillingly methodical: one of them, often Sabarirajan alias Riswandh, would lure women — mainly college students — into secluded locations under false pretences. Once there, the women were sexually assaulted and filmed without their consent. The videos were then used to blackmail the victims into repeated sexual encounters or to extort money and valuables.

If the sexual encounter was consensual, the men still recorded it covertly and used the footage to threaten and coerce. If the encounter was forced, one of the men would pose as a rescuer while others filmed the victim in distress, further traumatising her and adding to the blackmail material.

The trigger: One survivor speaks out

The racket came to light after one 19-year-old college student, referred to as Priya (name changed), gathered the courage to confide in her family. After enduring threats and blackmail for months, her brother, Subhash (name changed), confronted the men. In the process, he recovered their mobile phones — a trove of evidence that included videos of at least three other women.

The family submitted the evidence to the Pollachi police on February 24, 2019. What followed was a series of FIRs under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for sexual assault, robbery, disrobing, and criminal intimidation, as well as charges under the Information Technology Act and Tamil Nadu’s sexual harassment law.

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Accused persons in Pollachi sexual assault case being produced in a court, in Coimbatore. | Photo: PTI

Who were the accused?

A total of nine men were eventually identified and charged. They are:

  • N. Sabarirajan aka Riswandh (civil engineer)
  • K. Thirunavukkarasu (financier)
  • M. Sathish (readymade garments shop owner)
  • T. Vasanthakumar (money collection agent)
  • R. Mani aka Manivannan
  • P. Babu
  • T. Haronimus Paul
  • K. Arulanantham (former AIADMK youth wing functionary)
  • M. Arunkumar

All nine have been held in Salem Central Prison since 2019. Arulanantham’s arrest was politically significant, given his ties to the ruling AIADMK at the time. He was expelled from the party, which faced accusations of shielding the accused and delaying justice.

Victim count and investigative challenges

Although forensic evidence and phone data pointed to potentially dozens of victims — with some media reports estimating between 50 and 200 — only eight survivors came forward to testify in court, out of 12 identified by the CBI. The reluctance of other victims highlights the overwhelming social stigma surrounding sexual crimes in India, especially when compounded by the threat of public shaming and reputational ruin.

The prosecution's case was built on over 200 documents and 400 pieces of electronic evidence, including forensic-confirmed videos of assaults. Not a single witness turned hostile — a rare and powerful testament to the strength of the survivor community and the protection offered under the Witness Protection Act.

Institutional failures and mishandling

Despite the gravity of the crime, the case was mishandled early on. The initial FIRs were filed under weaker charges, and the identity of at least one victim was illegally disclosed by the then Pollachi Superintendent of Police, in violation of laws meant to protect sexual assault survivors. The Tamil Nadu Home Department worsened matters by issuing a government order that also revealed the survivor’s identity.

Public outrage forced a transfer of the case — first from local police to the CB-CID, and finally to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a more impartial and comprehensive probe.

The court’s verdict: A long road to justice

On 13 May 2025, Judge R Nandhini Devi of the Coimbatore Mahila Court found all nine accused guilty of gang rape, repeated sexual assault, blackmail, and criminal conspiracy in the Pollachi case. The court awarded them life imprisonment, following the prosecution’s plea for the maximum punishment—life imprisonment until death.

Special Public Prosecutor Surendra Mohan also urged the court to mandate compensation for the victims, pointing to the deep psychological trauma and prolonged abuse they endured.

Civil society’s response

Women’s rights activists and civil society groups welcomed the conviction but warned that legal justice alone is not enough. Survivors need long-term rehabilitation, including counselling, financial compensation, and government jobs to ensure social reintegration.

"This verdict is a relief, but it must be followed by real support systems for the women whose lives have been irreversibly damaged," said a member of the Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective.

Political fallout

The AIADMK government of the time was accused of protecting the accused, many of whom had political affiliations. The delayed filing of the FIRs and attempts to hush the case down became a major issue in Tamil Nadu politics, with rival parties accusing the ruling party of institutional complicity.

The Pollachi sexual assault case is a tragic reminder of the dangers women face even in supposedly safe spaces. It exposed how deep-rooted misogyny, technology, and power structures can combine to exploit women. It also revealed systemic failings in India's law enforcement and political class when it comes to addressing gender-based violence.

While the life sentence sentence verdicts are a milestone, true justice for the survivors will only come through sustained institutional reform, victim rehabilitation, and the dismantling of the culture of silence and shame that still surrounds sexual violence in India.