A woman from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district who accused Srivaikuntam TVK MLA G Saravanan of backing two men who allegedly sexually assaulted her has been evicted from her home.
In an interview with TNM, the survivor Muthu (name changed) alleged that she was evicted from her rented house under pressure from one of the accused. She also questioned why no action had been taken against MLA Saravanan despite her allegation that he had attempted to broker a compromise and offered her a job after she informed him about the sexual assault.
Muthu, who is also a TVK office bearer in Ramanathapuram district, alleged that TVK’s Thoothukudi West district youth wing organiser Balasubramanian and another man named Jeyabal sexually assaulted her on May 3. In her police complaint, she said that Bala lured her with the promise of a job using MLA Saravanan's name before sexually assaulting her. While the police have registered a case and arrested the accused, Muthu alleged that there has been little progress in investigating Saravanan’s alleged role in backing them.
“No action has been taken against Saravanan. The police say they have arrested the accused, but I wonder why they didn’t ask him why he never met me after the assault if he wasn’t protecting them. I don’t want Saravanan to be jailed. I just want legal action to be taken against him,” she said.
Meanwhile, TNM spoke to MLA Saravanan, who claimed that the allegations were part of a conspiracy against him.
“She keeps changing her statement, and no media is covering it. Initially, she did not name me but then she changed her statement after 10 days,” he said. He also went on to say that the current government is acting with urgency and legal action is being taken against the accused. “If I made a mistake, legal action can be taken against me also,” he added.
All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) member Poomayil, who is supporting the survivor, alleged that the MLA helped the accused hide in Kerala. She also added that the survivor worked with the MLA in his office, prior to the opening of the party office.
The allegation
Muthu told TNM that she had long been a supporter of Chief Minister Vijay, dating back to his years as an actor, and had been involved in his fan clubs and political organisations for several years. She also worked at a trust run by Saravanan.
Through her party activities, she became acquainted with Bala at a blood donation camp in June 2025. According to Muthu, Bala approached her about opening bank accounts for a lottery-related commission scheme. Though she took it up, she discontinued the work soon because she was warned by well-wishers that such work could get her into trouble.
Muthu said she reconnected with Bala during election-related work. Living with her mother and two children and struggling with debt, she asked him if he knew of any job opportunities. According to her, Bala offered her a commission-based job, assuring her that it was linked to party leaders and would not cause any problems. She alleged that he persuaded her to travel with him to Ramanathapuram by promising an advance payment. Another woman accompanied them on the trip, she said.
During the trip, they stopped for food and drinks. She alleges that after consuming juice given to her by Bala and later another drink mixed and handed to her by the accompanying woman, she began feeling unusually dizzy and vomited.
She told TNM her condition worsened to the point that she could not remain seated and had to lie down in the vehicle. Later, they checked into rooms for the night, where she claims she was still in a semi-conscious state. This was where the two men allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The next morning, she confronted Bala about the incident, but he allegedly dismissed her complaints.
Muthu said her immediate concern at that point was to get away from the situation and return safely to her hometown.
Eventually, she was taken home, and she returned on the day election results were announced, while continuing to deal with the aftermath of the incident.
Muthu said that she had petitioned several close aides of Chief Minister Vijay. “I was told that if a crime had occurred, action would be taken even against Saravanan,” she said.
She alleged that she had tried to file a complaint with the police after the alleged assault but the police did not take her complaint. Finally, the complaint was registered on May 30.
Once the complaint was registered, Muthu was taken for a medical examination which was conducted over three days. She alleges that she was warned by the police not to use the MLA’s name.
On June 2, the police arrested the two accused. They have since been suspended from the party.
However, Muthu has stuck to her demand that the MLA be investigated. “They took me with them using the MLA’s name and assaulted me. Leave aside the party formalities, the MLA should at least be concerned about me as I belong to his constituency. I tried to contact him. His elder brother picked the call and said the MLA is not in the town,” she said.
But soon after that, she saw photos of him being offered shawls by people on a WhatsApp group.
When the MLA’s office was inaugurated, Bala was invited, she said.
“Around May 7, I spoke to the MLA directly. He said he can give me a job, as if that would solve the issue,” she added.
The MLA denied these allegations. He claimed that since he was clamping down on quarries in the district, someone was using the woman to target him.
“I was a poor man and I am an MLA now. Did anybody know Saravanan before this? No. Will they like it?” he said without naming anyone. He also claimed that Bala hasn’t spoken to him in almost one and half months.
“She alleged that I have a house in Kerala where I hid the accused. I don’t have a shop or a house there,” he said.
Threats and vilification campaign
Muthu said that she had faced a lot of harassment on social media from Saravanan’s supporters. Her photos were shared on Facebook with abusive language despite having campaigned for the party.
“Even the female party functionaries comment badly about me. When the MLA was unwell during campaigning, I went door-to-door and sought votes for him. I even have photos of that. I have even skipped work to campaign for him, sometimes returning home at 1 am,” she said.
And in the midst of the investigation, her house owner, a teacher, asked her to vacate the house.
“Bala belongs to the Devendra Kula Vellalar community and so does my landlord. He told me that his relatives had questioned why he was renting out his house to a woman who had sent a man from their community to jail. According to him, if I did not vacate the house, his family members would forcibly evict me,” she said.
Muthu also alleged that Bala’s wife had filed a false complaint against her.