- A man, recently released from jail, raped an 80-year-old woman who was out on an evening walk in Cuddalore.
- The 23-year-old was allegedly intoxicated.
- The survivor is receiving medical treatment and psychological counselling, and is out of danger.
Released from jail just two days ago, a man raped an 80-year-old woman who was out on an evening walk in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district on Monday.
The accused, a 23-year-old man, had been arrested in a theft case and released from jail on Saturday. He was allegedly intoxicated when he raped the woman.
The survivor is undergoing medical treatment and psychological counselling. "We have registered a case of rape. We are investigating and have secured strong evidence. The survivor is out of danger," a senior police officer told NDTV.
Officials said that when the police tracked down the man and tried to arrest him, he attacked them with a knife. They had to shoot him in the leg and take him into custody.
"The man had a knife and turned violent. Two of our personnel sustained injuries. We had no choice but to open fire below the knee to subdue and arrest him," an officer said.
Videos also showed the injured policemen receiving treatment.
'No Confidence'
The opposition has slammed the ruling DMK for what it calls a disturbing spurt in crimes against women in the state.
Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, said, "No one knows where Tamil Nadu is heading under Chief Minister MK Stalin's rule. People have no confidence that he will eradicate the drug menace or maintain law and order".
The state government has, however, said there has been no rise in crimes against women. DMK sources also pointed to the recent Anna University sexual assault case, in which the accused was handed a life sentence within five months, as an example of fast-tracked justice.
In an interview to NDTV a few days ago, state police chief Shankar Jiwal had said, "There is more reporting now due to increased awareness. Tamil Nadu has the lowest number of cases of crimes against women."
