Advocate P. Arul, who had claimed that several women were sexually abused by a gang in Perambalur, preferred a complaint on Friday with the police alleging that he was being tailed by a group at the instigation of a politician of the ruling party. Requesting protection, Mr. Arul handed over a copy of the complaint at the Perambalur police station.
The advocate claimed that the group of persons was trying to eliminate him after he released an audio clip of his purported conversation with a suspected victim during a media interaction on Thursday.
The advocate said he was followed by more than 10 persons when he went to the court to carry out his professional duties. Mr. Arul said he was being threatened into withdrawing the complaint of sexual abuse.
Fearing danger to his life and his family, the advocate appealed to the police to provide protection. Mr. Arul also said a petition had been given to the police on behalf of the AIADMK lawyers wing against him.
Meanwhile, DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of women in Perambalur and arrest of the accused, while also demanding that the government transfer the probe into the Pollachi sexual abuse cases to the CBI immediately.
In a statement, Mr. Stalin alleged that women were feeling unsafe under the AIADMK regime. “To let women live in fear is not good for a government nor is it good for Edappadi Palaniswami who is holding the Chief Minister’s post,” he said.
Slamming the government for showing a lax attitude in the investigation of the Pollachi sexual assault cases, Mr. Stalin warned that the government should not think that they can destroy evidence in the case, where a number of important people in the AIADMK are involved, using the CB-CID before handing over the cases to the CBI. “There will be a change in the State government after May 23. Once that happens, a separate investigation will be conducted into the slow manner of investigation into these cases by the AIADMK and the officers who were involved in the cases. Severe action would be taken against those found guilty in these two cases, irrespective of the post they are holding,” Mr. Stalin claimed.