Coimbaore : DMK Women’s Wing Head and Rajya Sabha MP, Ms Kanimozhi was arrested along with nearly 400 cadres belonging to different political parties, when they attempted to stage a demonstration in nearby Pollachi, seeking the arrest of real culprits in the sensitive sexual harassment and blackmail of a teenage college student there.

Before her arrest for defying the ban on demonstrations, Kanimozhi told the gathering of DMK workers and alliance partners that the incident had made ‘Tamil Nadu to bow its head with shame’.

The suffering of those affected girls was very painful as such incidents were happening for the last seven years, she said. The needle of suspicion pointed towards the police department, she said as there were remarks by Superintendent of Police (R Pandiarajan) to the media that there was no no involvement of any politician in the episode.

While some could say that the DMK was trying to politicise the issue, how could justice be done to the victims without a public agitation, she asked.

The police, which initially claimed that there were 50 videos in the mobile phone, thinned down to only four during the press briefing by Pandiarajan, she said, adding that even the key accused, Thirunavukkarasu when in hiding had claimed ‘politics behind the entire incident.’

Pandiarajan was the same person, who had slapped a woman during a protest against TASMAC near Tirupur and was given promotion as SP, she alleged.

As Kanimozhi and others started the demonstration, police arrested her, amid resistance by the agitators.

Meanwhile, BJP Tamil Nadu General Secretary, Vanathi Srinivasan submitted a memorandum to Pandiarajan seeking immediate action without any bias against those involved in the incident.

She wanted the police to arrange a platform for nearly 100 girls, who were the victims of the gang, for lodging complaints without revealing their names.

Meanwhile,the brother of the victim and some relatives requested the political parties not to politicise the issue, since it would deter other victims from seeking justice.

The relatives who had submitted a memorandum to the district collector, K Rajamani with regard to the case, said that such agitations by the political parties added to the stress already being felt by the girls and their parents.