Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, May 23: A massive protest broke out across Tamil Nadu on Saturday after a 10-year-old girl, who had gone missing on Thursday, was found dead in the Sulur area of Coimbatore, police said.
According to police officials, the girl had stepped out on Thursday evening to buy groceries when she was allegedly abducted by the accused on a two-wheeler and later killed. Her body was reportedly dumped near the Kannampalayam tank and was recovered on Friday. The body has been sent to the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital for postmortem examination.
Police identified the main accused as Karthik, who has been arrested along with his aide Mohan Raj. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the duo under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act.
The incident triggered widespread outrage in the state, with people staging protests demanding strict punishment for the accused. Tamil Nadu minister MS Sampath met the victim’s family and assured them that the accused would face capital punishment.
Reacting to the incident, C Joseph Vijay expressed deep condolences to the girl’s family and termed the crime “inhuman and unforgivable.” In a post on X, the Chief Minister said the incident had caused “immense pain” and assured that the government would ensure the harshest punishment for those responsible.
The Chief Minister’s Office stated that police had been directed to carry out a thorough and speedy investigation and to file the chargesheet at the earliest.
The incident also sparked a political row in the state, with opposition parties attacking the government over law and order. Udhayanidhi Stalin condemned the killing and alleged that more than 30 incidents of sexual violence had taken place in the state since Vijay assumed office.
Calling the incident shocking, he said the demand for justice was echoing across the country.
Meanwhile, Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised the government, alleging failure in preventing such crimes. He said that although two accused had been arrested after hours of protests, the inability to save the life of the child reflected government negligence.