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Two functionaries of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) were arrested by the Srivaikuntam All Women Police in Thoothukudi district for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman after luring her with a job promise.
The accused have been identified as Balasubramaniam (35), TVK’s Thoothukudi West Youth Wing organiser, and Jeyabal (28), a party functionary from Ramanathapuram district.
According to reports, the woman, a resident of the Srivaikuntam area, was taken by the accused in a car on May 3 on the pretext of helping her secure a job. The two allegedly took her to Ervadi in Ramanathapuram district and provided her with a drink mixed with a sedative.
The woman allegedly lost consciousness after consuming the drink, following which the accused sexually assaulted her.
The survivor lodged a complaint with the Srivaikuntam All Women Police on May 30, based on which a case was registered. The two accused were arrested on Monday, June 1, and produced before a magistrate.
They were later remanded to judicial custody and lodged in the Palayamkottai Central Prison.
Reacting to the incident, Thoothukudi MP and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said the alleged assault was “shocking and painful”.
“At a time when women's safety has become a major concern, when will Chief Minister Vijay realise that he is the one in power and act responsibly, instead of blaming the DMK, as he did during the election campaign?” she asked.