Pudukkottai gang rape: Police nab second accused from Dindigul

Pudukkottai: A special police team on Tuesday arrested the second accused in the gang rape of a 35-year-old speech and hearing-impaired woman in Pudukkottai district.Police identified the accused as A Sekar, 55, who had been absconding since the incident on Sunday evening. He was traced to Dindigul district and arrested on Tuesday morning. Police had earlier arrested the first accused, S Marimuthu, on Sunday night and seized the car allegedly used in the crime. He was remanded in judicial custody on Monday. To trace the second accused, four special teams were formed under the supervision of Pudukkottai town DSP Brinda. The Alangudi All Women Police Station booked the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. According to police, the survivor, a daily-wage labourer at a private rice mill near Alangudi, was waiting at a bus stop after work on Sunday when the two accused allegedly offered her a lift in their car. They allegedly forced her into the vehicle, sexually assaulted her, and later abandoned her near Karambakkudi. Meanwhile, family members of the survivor and local residents staged a road blockade on Tuesday demanding the immediate arrest of the second accused. Political leaders, including DMK MP Kanimozhi, condemned the incident and called for stronger measures to ensure women's safety. "The TVK govt, which came to power promising women's safety, must take steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and ensure justice for the victim," Kanimozhi said in a post on X.