Coimbatore has been jolted by a deeply disturbing incident: a 20-year-old postgraduate student was abducted and gang-raped late Sunday night while she was sitting in a car with her boyfriend near Brindhavan Nagar, behind the city’s airport.

According to the police, the couple had parked around 10:30 pm when three men on a moped arrived. They smashed the car’s windshield, attacked the boyfriend with weapons, and forcibly took the young woman to a secluded spot about a kilometre away. There the horrifying assault took place. 

Her boyfriend alerted the authorities around 11 pm. After an exhaustive search through the night, the police located the student around 4 am and rushed her to a private hospital for treatment and support.

Police have since arrested three suspects identified as Sathish, Guna and Karthik from the neighbouring Madurai district who were lodging in a rented room in Coimbatore. During the arrest operation, an encounter occurred and the stolen moped used in the crime was recovered. 

A chilling detail: surveillance cameras in the area failed to capture clear images of the perpetrators’ faces owing to glare and poor visibility, hindering early investigation efforts. The survivor was shown more than 60 mugshots and was unable to positively identify her attackers. 

The city’s police commissioner, A. Saravana Sundar, has formed seven special teams to track down any further suspects and ensure swift action. Meanwhile, women’s groups and political leaders have expressed deep outrage calling for stronger safety measures, better lighting, more effective CCTV coverage and faster justice. 

For the victim, the path ahead will be understandably challenging physically, emotionally, mentally. Her courage in seeking help gives hope. The broader community, meanwhile, must ask: are we doing enough to make public spaces safe for women? And can we ensure that technology and policing support real security rather than just appearing to? As investigations carry on, one thing is clear: the demand for change is urgent.