Chennai: A 10-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted before being killed by a 33-year-old neighbour in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, sparking outrage in the state and exposing the new TVK government to sharp opposition attack.
The incident happened on Thursday when the girl was on her way to buy groceries near her home. When she did not return home, her family filed a police report and started looking for her.
She was found dead with injuries on her body on Friday near the Kannampalayam lake area, about 1.5 km from her home. Police said they have arrested two people, including the main accused, Karthik, who fractured his leg while trying to flee and has been hospitalised.
Chief Minister Joseph Vijay expressed deep shock and extended condolences to the family. He confirmed the two arrests and said he has directed the police to conduct a thorough and expeditious investigation.
The CM’s response came after the deceased’s family refused to take the body from the mortuary and demanded an assurance from Vijay, who took oath as the chief minister on 10 May.
“We will not take the body until we get a statement from the chief minister. We voted for change. Now, he is not even giving a statement. This shows that there will be no change after the new government as well,” the victim’s mother told ANI.
In a statement on X, CM Vijay said, “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.
கோயம்புத்தூரில் நேற்று 10 வயது சிறுமிக்கு நிகழ்ந்த கொடூர சம்பவம் மிகுந்த வேதனையையும், அதிர்ச்சியையும் அளிக்கிறது. இத்தகைய மனிதநேயமற்ற மற்றும் மன்னிக்க முடியாத குற்றச் செயல்கள் நமது சமூகத்தில் ஒருபோதும் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட முடியாது.
தங்கள் உயிருக்குயிரான குழந்தையைப் பிரிந்து வாடும்…
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) May 23, 2026
“The Tamil Nadu government will firmly act to ensure that those who engage in such heinous acts against women and children receive severe punishment under the law. All immediate and necessary actions for this will be taken,” he said.
Police said Karthik allegedly lured the child, took her on his two-wheeler, sexually assaulted her, and then killed her. His aide, Mohan Raj, has also been arrested.
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New govt under fire
Opposition leaders criticised CM Vijay over the incident, with DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin questioning the seriousness of the government on law and order.
The Leader of the Opposition said the chief minister should accord top priority to law and order to ensure no such incident ever happens again.
“The incident has sent shockwaves across India. The people of Coimbatore are staging a night-long protest. The real perpetrators of this barbaric act must be swiftly brought to severe punishment,” he said in a statement on X.
He conveyed condolences and assured support to the family, while criticising the new government. “Since the new government assumed office, in just 12 days, over 30 major incidents, including sexual violence, ganja smuggling, rowdy attacks, the ruling party’s unruly excesses, and now the Coimbatore girl’s abduction and murder, have made headlines, casting serious doubts on the state’s law and order,” Udhaynidhi wrote on X.
AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami also condemned the incident and said the government must demonstrate seriousness not only in mere “publicity measures” regarding women’s safety but also in creating robust and effective protection systems. “It must act not as a ‘reels’ government but as a real government,” he stated.
“It is heartbreaking that this government, which is duty-bound to ensure the safety of women and children, has failed to prevent such a heinous incident. 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 and lack of effectiveness,” he wrote on X.
‘Accused known to the family’
The girl’s family members and kin staged protests outside the Sulur police station, asking for swift and strict action. The family and residents expressed outrage over the alleged delay in tracing the child despite a complaint being lodged soon after she went missing.
Police sources said that the accused, who is also a neighbor and acquaintance of the victim’s family, had taken the missing child along with him, and action was taken based on analysis of the CCTV cameras, footage in the nearby vicinity, and the technical evidence.
“The accused, who was hiding on the first floor of Maria Rose Garden Apartments at Kannampalayam, was surrounded by the special police team. In an attempt to escape from the police, he jumped from upstairs, resulting in fractures on his right hand and right leg,” West Zone Inspector General of Police R.V. Ramya Bharathi told the media.
Police said that during the course of interrogation, Karthik confessed that he had lured the child, sexually assaulted her, and subsequently killed her.
“As the case pertains to assault of a minor child, the case is being altered to include the provisions of the POCSO Act, and stringent action is being undertaken,” Ramya Bharathi told the media.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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