In ‘self-defence’, TN teen stabs rapist to death with his own knife

In ‘self-defence’, TN teen stabs rapist to death with his own knife

Cops Seek Legal Opinion; She May Not Be Arrested

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 04.01.2021

In what police believe to be an act of self-defence to escape from a rapist, a 19-yearold woman stabbed a 24-yearold man to death with a knife used by him to threaten her in his rape bid at Sholavaram in Tiruvallur district late on Saturday.

According to Ponneri DSP Kalpana Dutt, a legal opinion has been sought and the victim may not be arrested in the case.

The incident happened around 8pm when she went to relieve herself in a poorly-lit area surrounded by bushes. She failed to notice S Ajithkumar, 24, her relative from the same village, following her to the spot. The teenager panicked on seeing him standing with a beer bottle. Before she could move, the man placed a knife on her neck and threatened to rape her, police sources said quoting the victim.

As he began to undress, she pleaded with him to spare her. Realizing he was drunk, she pushed her away and he banged his head against a tree and dropped his knife. The victim picked up the weapon and stabbed him on his neck multiple times until he swooned. Leaving him dead at the spot, she reached Sholavaram police station on her own around 9pm and narrated the incident to the cops there.

‘Deceased man was an alcoholic’

Police personnel rushed to the spot, retrieved Ajithkumar’s body, and sent it to Stanley Hospital for postmortem. Police registered a murder case but no arrests have been made.

The DSP said the teenager was a Class X dropout. Ajithkumar, who had two children, was her aunt’s son. He got separated from his wife a few months back after a domestic dispute. According to police, the man was a jobless alcoholic and had theft cases pending against him. He always moved with a knife looking for easy targets.

“So far it appears to be an act of self-defence and there seems to be no other motive,” the police officer said.

“We will submit a final report in the court where it will be decided whether an action is warranted in the case,” the DSP added.

According to police, the man was a jobless alcoholic and had theft cases against him