Chennai, March 20 PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday criticised the DMK government over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu, saying that the recent incident of a minor's rape and murder in Tuticorin has raised questions about the safety of women and children.
Attacking the MK Stalin-led government over the incident in Vilathikulam, in Tuticorin district, he said that the overall functioning of the police is not commendable, as the arrest of the accused in the case came after nine days of the crime.
"During the investigation, it was also revealed that (the accused) Dharma Muneeswaran had already sexually assaulted and murdered elderly women in two different incidents and had robbed them of their jewelry," Anbumani said in a statement.
He said that Muneeswaran, who had been released on bail and attending court regularly in the Tuticorin Women's court, should have been continuously monitored by the police.
Alleging that he was seen riding a two-wheeler and was arrested based on surveillance camera footage, Anbumani said that since he had been using a stolen vehicle for many days, if the police had discovered this, the incident could have been prevented. "In that aspect too, the police have failed," he charged.
Dharma Muneeswaran (38), a known criminal, was arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl near Vilathikulam. The accused was apprehended after CCTV footage from a windmill and a stolen motorcycle found near the crime scene provided crucial leads.
Referring to the horrific incident of a gang rape behind Coimbatore airport in November 2025, Anbumani said that even in that incident, the three arrested men had a criminal background. "If the police had monitored these criminals, that incident could have been prevented. But, this is also a failure by the police," he said.
Claiming that these incidents showcase the free movement of such perpetrators in society, he said, "The police have taken no action to monitor them or to prevent them from repeatedly engaging in criminal acts."
"Instead, women and children who ought to move freely, have to live in fear," he said.
The law and order situation in Tamil Nadu is a joke and after April 23, the safety of women and children will be ensured as the AIADMK-led NDA will win the Assembly polls, he noted.