Coimbatore’s horrific episode has generated a wave of outrage after a 10-year-old girl, who had been missing since Thursday evening, was discovered dead with wounds near Kannampalayam lake.
Two accused members of the case have been arrested by police, as protests calling for justice erupted in the area. The young girl vanished late in the evening of May 21, apparently returning from a nearby shop, preliminary reports say.
Her disappearance was met with initial panic among relatives and residents who immediately looked for her in search of her. The police later said those searching reported finding the child's body by Kannampalayam lake in suspicious circumstances.
The authorities suspect that the girl may have been strangled, which caused her death, though the nature of her death is still expected to be determined after a follow-up post-mortem examination. The family of the victim has accused the arrested men of kidnapping and killing the child.
The two arrested men are Mohan and Karthick, and they are in police custody while the investigation goes on. An ANI interviewee, the girl’s uncle Palanisamy, said the family was heartbroken and still lost in confusion about how the calamity had played out. “I was notified that the child went missing 2 days ago on arrival from a nearby shop.
“We never know what she did as yet. We cannot even look at our child’s body anymore. Police said the inquiry is ongoing,” he said of the man emotionally. The horrific incident has triggered a stir across Tamil Nadu, as angry and sad people mourned the child's crime. In some places, the local population was packed and massed, calling for harsh punishment to be given to the culprits.
Hundreds of students and locals reportedly staged roadblock protests to bring justice to the victim. Protesters demanded a swift investigation and severe punishment for the accused. The police responded and scattered the crowd to keep law and order. As reported, during the protests, the victim’s parents were reported to be taken to the Sulur police station.
Family members of the child told the family to avoid signing any documents and not accept any settlement. “We want justice. We are looking to know what punishment these alleged criminals shall get,” said one family member during news coverage of the protests. Vijay too reacted strongly after the incident: What a punishment these accused criminals would face, he said.
He called the offence "inhuman and unforgivable". The incident caused further suffering to the government; the Chief Minister was called into question in an online statement shared by a senior figure, who was deeply shaken by it. “I offer my heartfelt understanding of the grief of our mourning survivors.
Two of those who had been charged in this case had already been arrested. I have instructed the police to carry out an investigation which is thorough and fast-tracked and to file the chargesheet urgently,” he said. As a result, the Chief Minister also agreed that the Tamil Nadu government would provide all legal mechanisms to ensure heavy punishment for crimes against women and children.
Sulur Police Station officials have registered a case and initiated a full-fledged investigation. Now officers are scrutinising forensic evidence, witnesses' statements and movements of the accused pre- and post-crime. The child’s body has since been sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination, which is expected to give a better understanding of the precise circumstances surrounding her death.
These issues include: the dangers of not having to deal with these horrible events anymore in the homes of adolescents and little kids; children under eighteen, including youth who commit crimes against minors; and the necessity for more strict preventive measures in homes.
Citizens and volunteers are clamouring for more rapid trials and harsher punishment in respect of crimes against children. As police step up their investigation and the family of the young victim waits for justice, the case also has a huge public spotlight on it.
