Rowdy held after engg student sexually assaulted in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: An engineering student was sexually assaulted while waiting at a bus stop near her college at Thuvakudi in the wee hours of Sunday. The assailant has been arrested.

Police said the 20-year-old woman had gone out with a friend for a movie on Saturday night. As it was too late to return to the hostel, she decided to spend the night in the bus stand nearby with her friend. The hostel opens at 7 am, sources said.

Around 3 am, a person approached the duo and identified himself as a home guard and questioned their presence there. Even as they told him what happened, the man asked the girl to come with him to the police station for inquiry. As they resisted, he allegedly assaulted her friend and took her on his bike.

Instead of going to the police station, the man took her to an isolated spot. As the girl tried to raise alarm and escape, he threatened to stab her and sexually assaulted her. He then dropped her back. The woman along with her friend filed a police complaint. SP Ziaul Haque formed a special team to probe the case and Manikanadan of Valavanthankottai was arrested on Sunday. Sources said HE is a history-sheeter.