Outrage in Coimbatore: 19-Year-Old Student Abducted and Gang-Raped Near Airport; Three Accused Absconding

 

Coimbatore, November 3, 2025 – A chilling tale of brutality has gripped Tamil Nadu after a 19-year-old college student was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by three men near Coimbatore International Airport late Saturday night. The victim, a second-year engineering student from a nearby private college, was dumped unconscious on a roadside in Saravanampatti around 2 a.m., where she was discovered by a passing auto-rickshaw driver. As police hunt for the perpetrators – identified as local laborers with prior petty crime records – the incident has ignited fury over women's safety in the city's outskirts, drawing sharp criticism from activists and political leaders.

The ordeal began when the young woman, hailing from a modest family in Pollachi, was returning from a late-night study session at a friend's hostel in Gandhipuram. She had boarded a local bus to head home but alighted near the airport to catch a connecting ride, a routine she followed weekly. According to her initial statement to investigators, as she waited at a dimly lit bus shelter around 11:30 p.m., three men in a battered white van approached, claiming to offer a lift to her destination. Trusting their feigned concern, she accepted – a decision that turned into a nightmare.

The assailants, later identified through CCTV footage as Ravi Kumar (28), Suresh Mani (32), and their accomplice Prakash (25), all residents of nearby Avinashi slums, overpowered her with chloroform-soaked cloth inside the vehicle. They drove her to an isolated stretch along the airport perimeter fence, a notorious spot for illicit activities shielded by overgrown scrubland and poor surveillance. There, in a 90-minute horror, they subjected her to repeated sexual assault, beating her with a belt when she resisted and threatening her life if she screamed.

"I woke up to hands over my mouth, the van reeking of alcohol. They laughed as they... God, I can't even say it," the victim whispered to a female counselor at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where she underwent emergency treatment and forensic examination early Sunday. Discharged after stabilizing her physical injuries – including lacerations, bruises, and internal trauma – she now battles severe psychological distress, supported by a team of therapists provided by the state women's helpline.

The auto driver who found her, 55-year-old Murugan, became an unwitting hero. "She was half-naked, bleeding, murmuring for help. I covered her with my shawl and rushed her to the hospital. Those monsters must pay," he told reporters outside the police station, his voice trembling. The victim's family, informed at dawn, rushed to her bedside; her father, a schoolteacher, collapsed in grief, vowing, "My daughter trusted the world – now it's shattered us. We want them hanged, not just jailed."

Coimbatore City Police Commissioner V. Balakrishnan formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Superintendent R. Priya, who confirmed the accused's identities via partial vehicle registration captured on airport security cams. "We've sealed the area, deployed dog squads, and issued sketches based on the survivor's description. They're locals, known to us for chain-snatching; one has a parole violation warrant. A statewide alert is out – they won't escape," Balakrishnan asserted during a tense briefing. Forensic teams recovered DNA traces from the scene, including discarded beer cans and the victim's torn dupatta, bolstering the case under IPC Sections 376D (gang rape), 363 (kidnapping), and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The assault has exposed glaring lapses in public safety around the airport, a bustling hub handling over 5 million passengers annually. Activists from the Tamil Nadu Women's Collective slammed the lack of streetlights, patrolling, and dedicated women's shuttles post-10 p.m. "This is the fourth such incident in six months near transport nodes. Where's the promised Safe City project funding?" fumed collective coordinator Geetha Ramakrishnan, organizing a candlelight vigil for Monday evening.

Politically, the tragedy has become a flashpoint. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, cutting short a Delhi trip, directed free legal aid and a ₹5 lakh compensation package for the victim, while assuring fast-track courts. "Perpetrators of such heinous crimes will face the full wrath of the law – no mercy," he posted on X. Opposition AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused the DMK government of "failing daughters of Tamil soil," demanding a white paper on crime rates. BJP state chief K. Annamalai echoed calls for vigilante squads, a remark that drew backlash for potentially inciting mob justice.

As the sun rose over Coimbatore's textile mills, the city simmered with quiet rage. Protests simmered outside the local police station, with students from the victim's college forming human chains emblazoned with #JusticeForHer. For the young woman, cocooned in her hospital room with family, the path to healing is long – but her courage in speaking out has already sparked a reckoning. In a state where reported rapes surged 15% last year, this case could catalyze overdue reforms, ensuring no woman fears the shadows of the night.