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Eight persons were arrested on Tuesday, June 2, for allegedly sexually harassing a 23-year-old woman and robbing her jewellery near the Girivalam path in Tiruvannamalai. According to reports, the survivor, a resident of Tiruvannamalai who works in a private company in Chennai, had returned to her hometown for the full moon Girivalam on May 31.
While she was returning home at night through a stretch near the Tirukkovilur bypass road, a group of men intercepted her and allegedly threatened her before robbing her gold earrings. The accused then allegedly took her to a secluded area and sexually harassed her. Reports suggest that the group also recorded an obscene video of the woman before fleeing the spot.
Based on a complaint lodged by the survivor and her family, the Tiruvannamalai West police registered a case and launched an investigation.
Superintendent of Police M Sudhakar inspected the spot, following which special teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rajan were formed to trace the suspects. CCTV footage from the area was also examined as part of the investigation.
The police found eight persons, of which the main accused has been identified as K Vasudevan (28), a history-sheeter from Adaiyur village near Tiruvannamalai.
Vasudevan has a criminal history and is involved in multiple cases, including mobile phone theft and chain-snatching cases registered at police stations in and around Tiruvannamalai. The other accused are B Akash (23), R Tamilarasan (27), G Appu (24), A Hariharan (27), V Sharma (23), N Balaji (25), and S Arun Kumar (29). Police are also searching for three more persons.
Police suspect that the group targeted devotees and visitors around the Arunchaleswarar temple and Girivalam route, particularly during festival periods and holidays.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Nainar Nagendran expressed concern that such a crime had taken place in a major pilgrimage centre like Tiruvannamalai.