INDIA: 80-Year-Old Woman Brutally Raped Inside Her Own Home >:/ Neighbors Heard Her Cries For Help And Rushed To Her Rescue. They Tied Rapist To Post And Called Police.

The Times of India

80-year-old woman serious after rape in Salem

written by V Senthil Kumaran

Sunday May 12, 2013

SALEM - An 80-year-old woman was allegedly brutally raped by a 41-year-old man in a village in Salem district late Friday night. The woman, who was seriously injured in the assault, is undergoing treatment at Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital in Salem. Doctors treating her said her condition is serious but stable.

Police arrested the accused, S Palanivel, a vegetable vendor from Veppilaikuttai village in Salem. The incident took place in Gopalapuram area in Malliyakarai village. The woman's husband V Narayanan had died a few years ago and she was living alone at her house.

At around midnight on Friday, Palanivel came to the woman's house and asked for water, police said. She shouted at him as he was drunk. "Angered by this, Palanivel pushed her into the house and raped her," said deputy superintendent of police P Veliappan. "He used to come to her house to sell vegetables and usually met her in the night before returning to his village," he said.

The neighbours, who heard the elderly woman's cries, rushed to her rescue. They caught Palanivel, tied him to post and informed police. DSP Veliappan, inspector A Arumugam, sub-inspector Veeramuthu and other police personnel reached the spot immediately.

The woman was lying in a pool of blood after the brutal assault. Police rushed her to Attur Government Hospital in an ambulance. After first-aid, she was shifted to the Salem hospital for further treatment.

"We were sleeping outside our house when we heard the cries. We rushed to her house immediately," said a neighbor.

Doctors at the Salem hospital said the woman's condition is stable. "She is suffering from bleeding. But her health condition is stable at present. She was able to converse with others after the initial treatment," said Dr R Vallinayakam, dean of the hospital.

Malliyakarai police registered a case and arrested Palanivel. He has been charged under Sections 448 (house-trespass), 376 (rape) and 506 (1) (criminal intimidation) of IPC, and Section III of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act of 1989. He was produced before Attur judicial magistrate and sent to Salem central prison. Police said Palanivel had married twice and had four children.