In a case that has left a community reeling, a young man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for a heinous crime that shocks the conscience. But here's where it gets even more disturbing: the perpetrator not only robbed and sexually assaulted an 85-year-old woman but also filmed the act, using the video as a weapon to silence his victim. This chilling story, which unfolded in the quiet village of Pappampatti near Sulur, raises troubling questions about the depths of human cruelty and the vulnerabilities of our most elderly citizens.
On November 24, 2025, Shahul Hamid, a 25-year-old laborer from Pallapalayam with a history of criminal behavior, forcibly entered the home of an octogenarian woman. After stealing her five-sovereign gold chain, he committed a brutal sexual assault—and then, in a twisted act of coercion, recorded the crime on his mobile phone. He threatened to release the video if she reported the attack, leaving her terrified and silenced—at least temporarily. And this is the part most people miss: the victim initially reported only the robbery, out of fear and shame, but later found the courage to disclose the full extent of her ordeal with the support of her family. This delay highlights the immense psychological toll such crimes inflict on survivors.
The case took a dramatic turn when the investigating team apprehended Hamid just as he was preparing to flee. He had been receiving treatment at the Sulur Government Hospital for injuries sustained in a road accident that occurred after the crime. Police recovered his mobile phone, where they found the incriminating video, sealing his fate. Charged under multiple sections of the BNS, including trespassing to commit an offense (Section 332 A), aggravated robbery causing injury (Section 309 sub-section 6), and rape (Section 64), as well as Section 66E of the Information Technology Act for misuse of digital media, Hamid faced the full force of the law.
On Saturday, the Mahila Court in Coimbatore handed down a 10-year prison sentence, along with a ₹1,500 fine. Judge V. Sundararaj also recommended ₹5 lakh in compensation to the victim through the District Legal Services Authority, a small step toward acknowledging her suffering. But here’s the controversial question: Is a decade in prison enough for a crime that has shattered a woman’s life and safety in her own home? And what more can society do to protect the elderly from such predatory acts?
Published - December 06, 2025 09:29 pm IST
