10-year-old girl, on way to buy grocery, brutally killed in Tamil Nadu, locals stage protest; CM Vijay reacts

Chennai:

A massive protest erupted across Tamil Nadu on Saturday after a 10-year-old girl, who had been missing since Thursday, was found dead on Friday in the Sulur area of Coimbatore, the police said. 

According to the police, the girl had gone out on Thursday evening to buy groceries when the accused abducted her on a two-wheeler and killed her. The body was later dumped near the Kannampalayam tank, which was recovered on Friday and has been sent to the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital for an autopsy.

The accused has been identified as Karthik, who has been arrested now. Along with him, the police have also arrested his aide Mohan Raj. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against them under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and POCSO Act.

However, the girl's killing has caused a massive row in Tamil Nadu, with people staging a massive protest across the state. The Tamil Nadu government has reached out to her family, with Minister MS Sampath meeting them and saying the accused will be given capital punishment.

CM Vijay takes cognisance

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has reacted to the incident and expressed his deepest condolences to the girl's family. In a post on micro-blogging site X, the chief minister said the incident has caused "immense pain", adding that such an "inhuman and unforgivable criminal act" cannot be tolerated in the society.

"I have directed the police to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation into the incident and take all necessary actions to file the chargesheet immediately," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said, adding the government will firmly act to give the harshest punishment to the accused.

Political row over minor's killing

The girl's killing has also caused a row in Tamil Nadu, with the opposition slamming Vijay's government for the incident. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly, condemned the incident and alleged that over 30 incidents of sexual violence had taken place in the state since Vijay's swearing in.

"This heinous incident has sent shockwaves across the country. The voice demanding true justice for this murder is echoing from all quarter," he said on social media.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Edappadi K Palaniswami also attacked the government and said it has failedto prevent such heinous incidents in the state. "Even though two individuals have been arrested in connection with this incident after hours of protests, the inability to save the life of an innocent child points to the government's negligence," he said on X.

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