In a suspected case of gang rape and murder, the police have detained six persons from Odisha who were working in a private prawn farm in Rameswaram, after a 45-year-old woman was found dead and villagers resorted to a six-hour-long road blockade, demanding stern action against the suspects.
Following a complaint from her husband, the police registered a ‘woman missing’ case.
In his complaint, the deceased’s husband said she worked in a prawn farm in Rameswaram. She collected seaweed and returned home around 5 p.m. every day. On Tuesday, since she had not come home even after 6 p.m., her husband, along with a few relatives, went in search of her. Around 10.30 p.m., they found her body at Narikuzhi near Vadakadu and informed the police.
As the news spread, villagers gathered near the Rameswaram Main Road and blocked vehicular traffic. Demanding justice, they urged the police to punish the culprits.
A few youths allegedly attacked the six suspects. They also set fire to a thatched shed in the prawn farm. The police rushed to the spot and took the suspects into custody.
Around noon on Wednesday, a team led by Superintendent of Police E. Karthik arrived at the spot. Following the SP’s assurance of action, the villagers dispersed.
Addressing the media, the SP said the police had secured the six suspects. Special teams had been formed to conduct a probe. Preliminary inquiries had indicated that the woman had known the six suspects. An autopsy would be performed at the Ramanathapuram Government Hospital. The procedure would be videographed as well, he said.
“We retrieved the body on Tuesday night. Whether it was burnt or not needs to be assessed. Similarly, whether the victim was raped would be revealed after the post-mortem. The six suspects are undergoing treatment at the government hospital, and would be subjected to an investigation. While some of them are able to understand Hindi and Tamil, others are unable to speak even in Hindi,” he said.
