Coimbatore: The brutal murder of a seven-year-old girl at Pannimadai, hardly a month after the sensational Pollachi sexual assault and blackmail case came to light, has send shock waves throughout the region. More than 500 residents of Pannimadai and surrounding villages on Wednesday staged a massive road roko at Thudiyalur, seeking justice for the minor victim. “I do not belong to any political party or association and I don’t know the victim. But, I am distressed and worried because I also have daughters. What happened to the girl was really brutal. It makes me feel like Coimbatore has become unsafe for women,” said S Charles, a protester.The protest lasted for more than four hours. The protesters demanded that the police department arrest the perpetrator at the earliest. “Unless the police officers set an example by punishing those behind the heinous crime, such incidents might happen again. Everyone should be treated equally before the law,” Charles said.Sharing a similar view, H Vyshnavee, a social activist, said that the punishment for such crimes should be so strong that the perpetrators should be afraid even to think of doing such an act. “Only stringent punishments can control such crimes. A few years ago, Coimbatore was in the list of top 10 cities considered as safe for women. After these incidents, the sense of safety for women has definitely come down. Women, who were confident of travelling alone during the night, have become reluctant,” she told TOI.“After the police department and the state government deliberately revealed the identity of the Pollachi sexual assault victim, how can we expect more victims to come forward and register complaints? There are several such cases, which are yet to see the light,” said A Radika, district secretary of All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA).Pointing out that the magistrate posts at the mahila court is remaining vacant for the last several years, Radika said that judgement is yet to be delivered in many cases. “No accused in cases of violence against women were severely punished.”

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