Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), May 23 (PTI) Two suspects were arrested and remanded in a case of abduction, sexual assault, and murder of a ten-year-old girl in Coimbatore, a senior police official said on Saturday.
The prime suspect, K Karthik (33) of Nagapattinam, and his friend Mohan were arrested. Since the case pertained to a sexual assault of a minor girl, the police altered the initial “girl missing” case to include the provisions of the POCSO Act, West Zone Inspector General of Police R V Ramya Bharathi said.
“The arrest was made within 24 hours of receiving the phone call. Initially, it was a girl missing case and later turned into a sexual assault and murder case,” she said.
The crime occurred at a desolate location in a private farm abutting a big lake, she told reporters here. Ramya Bharathi said the case was still under investigation and efforts were on to file the chargesheet at the earliest, hasten trial, and ensure justice to the affected girl and her family.
Giving details about the incident and the arrest, she said Karthik abducted the 10-year-old girl, who was playing near her house, in Sulur.
Her body was discovered on May 21 by residents in the Kannampalayam tank located about 1.5 km from her house, and the incident sparked political outrage.
On May 21, 2026, at 8.30 pm, the police received information on helpline 100 that a 10-year-old girl, playing outside her house, had been missing since 5 pm. Immediately, the police undertook an intensive search to trace the missing child, she said.
The police teams, after verifying CCTV footage, confirmed that 33-year-old neighbour Karthik, an acquaintance of the family, had taken the child along with him.
Karthik tried to flee when the police teams surrounded him at an apartment. He sustained fractures in his right arm and leg when he jumped from the first floor. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
During the investigation, he confessed to committing the crime and disclosed that his friend Mohanraj helped him, leading to the latter’s arrest.PTI JSP JSP ADB
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