CM Stalin hints at strict verdict in Kodanad heist-murder case following life sentence for Pollachi rapists

Chennai:  In the wake of the Coimbatore Mahila Court’s landmark verdict sentencing all nine accused in the Pollachi sexual assault and extortion case to life imprisonment, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin reaffirmed his government’s commitment to justice in another high-profile case — the 2017 Kodanad heist-cum-murder.

Stalin in a statement said, “I had assured the people of Tamil Nadu that the accused in the Pollachi rape case would face the harshest punishment. That promise has been fulfilled. Similarly, the accused in the Kodanad case will be brought to justice soon.”

The Pollachi case, which came to light in 2019, involved a series of sexual assaults, blackmail, and extortion targeting several young women.

The incidents triggered widespread outrage across the state and led to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

After six years of legal proceedings, the court on Tuesday sentenced all nine convicts to life imprisonment until the end of their natural life.

Drawing a parallel, CM Stalin referred to the sensational Kodanad case, which took place in April 2017.

On the night of April 23 that year, a gang of armed men broke into the Kodanad estate bungalow of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, just months after her death.

In the course of the robbery, a security guard on duty was brutally murdered, and valuables were reported looted.

The incident raised serious questions about the security of the late AIADMK leader’s personal estate and sparked political controversies.

The Kodanad case has since remained under the scanner, with multiple twists and allegations over the years.

The DMK, after coming to power in 2021, reopened the investigation and promised a transparent legal process.

Tuesday’s developments in the Pollachi case have once again put the spotlight on the Kodanad trial, with Stalin’s statement indicating that a verdict may not be far off.

As both cases involve grave crimes with political ramifications, their outcomes are being closely watched across Tamil Nadu.

–IANS