Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 23 (ANI): A 10-year-old schoolgirl was found dead near a pond in the Sulur area of Coimbatore district, following which police arrested two persons in connection with the case, officials said on Saturday.
According to police, the girl had gone missing while playing in front of her house. Her parents and relatives later found her body near the pond, triggering tension in the area.
Family members suspect sexual assault and have demanded strict action against those responsible.
Sulur police have registered a case and sent the body to the Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police suspect that the child may have been strangled to death.
Following the incident, the newly appointed Superintendent of Police and the Karumathampatti Deputy Superintendent of Police rushed to the spot and began an inquiry.
Police arrested two suspects identified as Karthick, a daily wage worker from Nagapattinam, and Mohanraj.
Officials said Karthick sustained injuries while allegedly trying to escape arrest. According to police, he jumped from the top of a building in the Merlin Garden area near Kannampalayam after spotting the police team approaching him.
“He suffered fractures in his right hand and leg during the escape attempt,” police sources said.
He was initially taken to Sulur Government Hospital and later shifted to Coimbatore Government Hospital for treatment under heavy police security.
Meanwhile, Mohanraj was also taken into custody on Friday morning in connection with the case.
Police said CCTV footage from the area helped them confirm the sequence of events and identify the accused.
Both accused were produced before Sulur Judge Arunkumar, who remanded them to judicial custody till May 27.
The body of the girl has been kept at ESI Hospital in Varadharajapuram for post-mortem examination, while a heavy police deployment has been made outside the hospital.
Alongside, parents and relatives staged a protest on a National Highway near the Sulur Police Station, demanding justice for the victim, leading to traffic congestion before police intervened and held talks with the protesters. (ANI)