Restored faith: On the Pollachi verdict
Justice, if not unduly delayed, restores public faith in due process and the criminal justice system. The recent verdict in the Pollachi sexual assault case, where a Coimbatore Mahila Court convicted all nine accused and sentenced them to life imprisonment for the remainder of their natural lives, is a significant step in this regard. More so, because the entire case originated from a single plea for help from a young victim, which helped expose the involvement of multiple tentacles of a body of criminals. In February 2019, a 19-year-old college student reported to the Pollachi East police that four men had sexually assaulted her in a car near Pollachi 12 days earlier. The ensuing investigation revealed this complaint to be just the tip of the iceberg. As in the Prajwal Revanna case in Karnataka, the seizure of digital devices unveiled the full scope of the atrocities. Since 2016, a group of young men had been systematically preying on vulnerable young women, from disadvantaged groups, filming the assaults, and using these videos for further exploitation. The sheer depravity uncovered shocked the State's collective conscience. Public outrage intensified with the exposure of the accused's political connections. One was identified as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Pollachi town students' wing secretary (later expelled), while another, involved in an assault on the survivor's brother, held a local secretary position in Amma Peravai, an AIADMK-affiliated youth organisation. Faced with mounting public pressure, the State government initially transferred the investigation to the Crime Branch-CID and subsequently to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Mahila Court Judge R. Nandhini Devi also directed the State government to provide a total compensation of ₹85 lakh to the survivors. The judge concurred with the prosecution's argument that the perpetrators had exploited their financial resources, physical power, political influence, and the incriminating videos to silence the survivors and perpetrate repeated assaults. She emphasised that she was clear that the judgment should 'reflect the public abhorrence of the crime'. As elections approach, politicians must resist the temptation to politicise this judgment, which not only delivered satisfactory justice but also challenged the misuse of political and financial clout. To foster a genuine feeling of security, the government must now assure its citizens an environment free from exploitation.
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