The sentencing of nine men to life in prison by a Mahila Court for rape and gang rape in the Pollachi case that shook Tamil Nadu six years ago stands out for advancing women’s safety. Eight women who came forward to testify in the case braved many adverse factors in a small-town setting, including shocking intimidatory moves by the local police after the first victim filed a complaint. The case pertains to several young women who were trapped by acquaintances, disrobed, attacked and filmed on video, with the gang of attackers blackmailing them for sex and money. These macabre crimes, echoing Maharashtra’s Jalgaon sex scandal of the 1990s, took place for some years before exploding as a public........

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