Angadi Theru Sindhu
Angadi Theru Sindhu.PR Handout

Actress Sindhu of Angadi Theru fame has made a controversial statement after she urged for "legalising" prostitution in Tamil Nadu in wake of the Pollachi sexual assault of several women.

In a video doing rounds on the internet, Sindhu has vented her anguish on the culprits and wants them to be brutally killed for their acts. "These inhumane dogs should be hanged. I can use filthy language against them, but I don't want to damage my own reputation," she said.

"Do they deserve to live? If it had happened abroad, the culprits, by now, would have been cut into pieces. Why such severe punishment is not being brought in India to safeguard our girls," she adds.

Sindhu further demanded that prostitution should be legalised in Tamil Nadu. "Like in Hyderabad and Mumbai, it has been legalised. And very rarely we hear about rape incidents in those places. If prostitution is legalised, our girls can be considered safe to some extent, from such sexual predators," the actress adds.

However, prostitution is not legal in India under the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, 1956.

The Pollachi sex assault-cum-blackmail issue of over 60 women has come as shock to Tamil Nadu. Four persons - Senthil, Babu, Mani alias Manivannan and Vasanthakumar - have been arrested following a complaint filed by one of the victim's family members.

The FIR has been filed under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or use of criminal force against woman with intent to disrobe), and 392 (robbery) of the IPC; section 66E of the IT Act (violation of privacy); and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Sexual Harassment of Women Act (sexual harassment). Now, the case has been handed over to the CBI.

Coming back to Sindhu, she also puts some amount of blame on the girls for such incidents. "Don't their parents aware of their responsibilities and know when to get their girls married? Why do they fall prey to such men? This incident should be a lesson to all of them," Sindhu claims.