10-year-old girl abducted 2 days ago found dead in water tank in Tamil Nadu

A 10-year-old girl was abducted by her neighbour while playing outside her house in Coimbatore, before being sexually assaulted and murdered, police said.

In Short

• Girl had gone missing on May 21 while playing near her house
• Victim's family demands CM's assurance before accepting body
• CM promises strict action; opposition criticises govt over lapses

A 10-year-old girl was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by two daily wage labourers in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district, triggering widespread outrage and protests on Saturday, with protests erupting and political leaders attacking the state government over the safety of women and children.

The girl had gone missing on May 21 while playing near her house. After multiple extensive searches failed to trace her, her parents lodged a missing complaint with the police.

During the investigation, the police later recovered her body from the area near a water tank in Kannampalayam and sent it for postmortem examination.

RV Ramya, Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the West Zone in Tamil Nadu, said that during the investigation, CCTV footage showed the prime accused, Karthik who was a neighbour of the victim, taking the child with him.

Police said both 33-year-old Karthik and co-accused Mohanraj were daily wage labourers and preliminary investigation suggested Mohanraj had conspired in the crime as Karthik had contacted him before and after the incident.

“The postmortem report confirmed this as a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. Within 24 hours, we were able to arrest the accused,” a senior police officer said.

The incident sparked anger among local residents, who staged protests in the area demanding stringent punishment for the accused and immediate action from the authorities.

FAMILY DEMANDS ASSURANCE FROM CM

The victim’s mother said the family would not accept the body from the mortuary after the postmortem until the Chief Minister issued a statement or assured them of justice.

“We voted for change, but the Chief Minister has not even given a statement or assurance. It feels like nothing has changed with the government,” she said.

Her remarks came amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over the safety of women and children in the state.

CM VIJAY PROMISES STRICT ACTION

Hours later, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office issued a statement condemning the crime and assuring speedy action.

“The horrific incident that occurred yesterday to a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore causes immense pain and shock. Such inhuman and unforgivable criminal acts can never be tolerated in our society,” the statement said.

The Chief Minister conveyed condolences to the victim’s family and confirmed that two accused had been arrested in the case.

The statement further said Vijay had directed police to carry out a “thorough and expeditious investigation” and take steps to file the chargesheet at the earliest. The government also promised stringent punishment against those involved in crimes against women and children.

OPPOSITION ATTACKS GOVERNMENT

Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai alleged that the situation for women and children remained unsafe despite the change in government.

“The same lack of safety that prevailed during the DMK regime still continues,” Annamalai said, urging the Chief Minister to prioritise women’s safety.

AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran condemned the killing and demanded stern punishment for the accused, while PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss called for the death penalty if the allegations were proven.

Anbumani also urged the government to strengthen measures for the safety of women and children, saying such crimes should never recur in the state.

- Ends
With agency inputs