In December 2018, a 23-year-old woman from Delhi who had traveled to Kumbakonam for work was sexually assaulted by a group of men after getting off a train at the Kumbakonam Railway Station late at night. The News Minute
The sequence of events as per the police investigation and trial records was roughly as follows:
- After arriving by train, the survivor hired an autorickshaw to reach her accommodation, but the auto driver went off-route, abandoned her in a remote area, and left her there.
- Two men then approached her pretending to be highway helpers or police, and took her to a secluded spot.
- There, two other men joined in, and the victim was gang-raped. The assailants also videotaped the assault on their phones.
- A police complaint was filed, and all five accused were arrested soon after.
Courts will uphold strict punishments in cases of sexual violence, particularly where the prosecution proves its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Evidence such as survivor testimony and corroborating material — like videos or witness accounts — can be decisive in upholding convictions on appeal.