Chennai, Nov 4 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, has voiced strong condemnation regarding the horrific sexual attack on a college student in Coimbatore, labeling it an “inhuman and barbaric act” that has deeply disturbed the moral fabric of the state.

This statement followed closely after police engaged in an encounter, resulting in the shooting and arrest of three suspects who attempted to flee from custody.

The disturbing incident transpired late on Sunday night near Coimbatore International Airport, where a 21-year-old postgraduate student was conversing with her male companion in a parked vehicle in Prithivip Nagar.

The suspects were captured following a dramatic pursuit and exchange of gunfire early Tuesday morning.

According to police reports, the victim, a 21-year-old from Madurai and a first-year postgraduate student at a private arts college in Coimbatore, had gone out with her boyfriend, who resides in Ondipudur. They parked their car behind the airport in Prithvivan Nagar when the tragic event occurred around 11 p.m.

Three men approached them, demanding they exit the vehicle. When the couple attempted to escape, the assailants smashed the window and attacked the boyfriend with a sickle, rendering him unconscious. They then forcibly took the terrified student into a nearby wooded area at knifepoint and assaulted her. Upon regaining consciousness around 2 a.m., her boyfriend called the emergency helpline and alerted the police.

Immediately, a search operation was initiated, leading to the discovery of the victim approximately a kilometer away in a state of severe trauma. The police rescued her and transported her to a private hospital, while her companion was treated at the Coimbatore Government Hospital.

A special investigative team, headed by Peelamedu Police, formed seven squads to locate the perpetrators using CCTV footage from the vicinity. Acting on a tip-off, the police found the suspects—identified as Guna, Satheesh Karuppasamy, and Karthik Kaleeswaran—hiding near Pattatharasi Amman Temple in Thudiyalur.

When cornered, the suspects allegedly attacked the police with sickles, injuring Constable Chandrasekar on the left arm. In response, Inspectors Arjun (Peelamedu) and Gnanasekaran (Saravanampatti) returned fire, injuring the suspects in their legs.

All three were subdued and taken to Coimbatore Government Hospital under strict security. Investigations revealed that the trio, originally from Sivaganga district, had been residing in Irukur while working as daily wage laborers.

Authorities reported that Karuppasamy and Kaleeswaran are siblings, and all three have previous criminal records related to murder, assault, and robbery.

The investigation is ongoing. In response to the incident, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin shared on his official X account that the “tragedy that befell the young woman in Coimbatore is inhuman.”

He stated, “Words are not enough to condemn such heinous crimes. The culprits have been swiftly identified and apprehended. I have instructed the police to file the charge sheet within a month and ensure that they face the maximum punishment as soon as possible.”

He further emphasized, “Only through the continuous advancement of women in all areas of life can we eradicate such distorted patriarchal mindsets. This is the only way to evolve into a truly progressive society.”