Three arrested after brutal gang-rape and assault near Coimbatore airport; police gun down accused while resisting arrest

Coimbatore :A shocking case of gang-rape and assault has rocked Coimbatore after three men allegedly attacked a college student and her male friend near the international airport late on Sunday night.

The horrific incident took place around 10:30 pm near Peelamedu, when the victims were sitting inside a car parked behind the airport premises. According to the police, three men on a two-wheeler approached the car and demanded that the woman step out.

When the couple questioned them, the men became aggressive, smashing the vehicle’s windows with a sickle and an iron rod. The woman’s friend, who tried to intervene, was brutally attacked — the assailants repeatedly struck him on the head and hands with sharp weapons, leaving him unconscious in a pool of blood.

The attackers then dragged the student out of the car and took her into nearby bushes, where they sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene. Around 2 a.m., after regaining consciousness, the injured youth managed to alert the police.

A team from Peelamedu Police Station immediately rushed to the spot and shifted both victims to the Coimbatore Government Hospital for emergency treatment.

The heinous crime triggered widespread outrage, prompting the formation of seven special police teams under the supervision of Peelamedu Inspector Arjun to trace the culprits. With no CCTV cameras at the crime site, police painstakingly reviewed footage from nearby roads and soon identified three suspects fleeing the area.

Investigations led police to a hideout near Pattatarasiamman Temple in Coimbatore, where the accused had taken shelter. When police teams attempted to apprehend them, the trio attacked Constable Chandrashekhar with a sickle, injuring his left arm. In retaliation and to prevent their escape, Inspectors Arjun and Gnanasekharan opened fire, shooting the accused in their legs.

The injured suspects were identified as Guna alias Thavasi, Satish alias Karuppasamy, and Karthik alias Kalieswaran — all residents of Sivaganga district. They were admitted to the Coimbatore Government Hospital under tight security. Police said Karuppasamy and Kalieswaran are brothers with multiple criminal cases, including murder, robbery, assault, and sandalwood smuggling.

A new case has been registered against all three under charges of gang rape, robbery, theft, and attempt to murder. Senior police officials confirmed that further investigations are underway to uncover additional links and possible accomplices in the crime.

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