Caught On Camera: Stray Dogs Protect 'Mentally Ill' Woman From Sexual Assault Bid In Coimbatore

Coimbatore: A sexual assault attempt was reportedly foiled by two stray dogs in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, after they intervened when a 16-year-old boy allegedly targeted a mentally ill woman sleeping by the roadside. The juvenile was later apprehended by the police.

The incident took place around midnight on Thursday near a railway overbridge in the Thudiyalur area. CCTV footage from the spot reportedly captured the dogs repeatedly intervening as the boy allegedly attempted to sexually assault the woman.

According to the footage, the juvenile approached her and allegedly began molesting her. The dogs then started barking aggressively and attacked the boy, forcing him to flee. The accused subsequently fled the spot, with one of the dogs reportedly chasing him as he ran away.

Police said the woman was regularly accompanied by the same two stray dogs, which may have contributed to their alert response during the incident, according to India Today report.

The CCTV footage came to light when the police were reportedly reviewing CCTV footage as part of a probe into a separate incident involving a fire at a petty shop in the area when they noticed the alleged assault attempt caught on camera. The footage prompted officers to launch a parallel probe.

Based on the CCTV footage, police traced and arrested the accused from the Ganesh Nagar area. Further investigations are underway, with officers examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged molestation attempt.