Published May 23, 2026 | 6:14 PM ⚊ Updated May 23, 2026 | 6:23 PM
IG Ramya Bharathi, DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, and ADGP Maheshwar Dayal at the scene of the crime along with other officers. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The relatives and neighbours of the murdered girl demanded instant justice for the victim. Police have arrested two men and assured a speedy trial. Chief Minister Vijay condemns the incident. CPI calls for including gender studies in school and college curricula to spread awareness.
Shock, outrage and tension gripped Coimbatore after a 10-year-old girl was found sexually assaulted and murdered a day after she had gone missing.
Police said two people have been arrested within 24 hours of the incident. One of them, Karthik, has been under intensive care in the Coimbatore Government Hospital for injuries sustained while trying to evade arrest.
His alleged accomplice, Mohanraj, has been remanded in judicial custody and shifted to the Coimbatore Central Prison.
The girl, daughter of daily-wage workers residing in Pallapalayam under the Sulur police, went missing while playing in front of her house on Thursday, 21 May. A few hours later, a search was launched after realising that the girl had been missing, police said.
Police said the girl’s father was away when she went missing. Her mother was at home.
The desperate search for the girl ended abruptly near the Kannampalayam pond bund, where her battered body was found on the morning of Friday, 22 May. A postmortem examination at the Coimbatore ESI Hospital revealed she had been sexually assaulted.
The girl’s relatives and neighbours have been staging a sit-in protest in front of the Sulur police station since Friday night. They demanded instant justice for the girl.
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A relative of the girl said her face had been disfigured and her hands, legs and abdomen bore severe multiple injuries. The relative claimed that the child appeared to have been strangled using her hair and hit with stones to disfigure her face.
Police said Karthik has confessed to the crime.
“The child’s condition cannot be put into words. Her entire body bore injuries. We could not even look at her,” the relative said.
Another relative alleged that the girl’s limbs had been broken and added that the injuries had made the child “unrecognisable”. The relative further claimed the accused had brutally tortured the girl before killing her.
The family members demanded strict punishment and said such an incident should never happen to any other child.
The girl’s aunt appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to explain the action taken in the case.
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Inspector-General of Police (West Zone) Ramya Bharathi said the girl went missing around 8.30 pm on 21 May.
Police earlier formed five special teams to trace the accused. Investigators extensively checked CCTV footage and technical evidence.
Investigators said Karthik, well known to the girl, lured her by offering chocolates. The accused persons and the girl were residing in the same neighbourhood.
Police have invoked relevant sections of the POCSO Act and BNS against the accused persons.
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Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Sandeep Rai Rathore on Saturday, 23 May, inspected the scene where the body was found.
Mohanraj (pictured) allegedly assisted Karthik in committing the crime.
Besides IG Bharathi, ADGP Maheshwar Dayal was also with him. The DGP later held a review meeting attended by senior police officers in Coimbatore.
Officer Bharathi told reporters that the police immediately registered a case and launched an investigation after receiving information about the incident.
Five special teams under Karumathampatti DSP Karikal Pari Shankar were formed to probe the case. Based on technical evidence and an analysis of around 200 to 250 CCTV camera footages, police confirmed that the girl had been taken away by her neighbour, Karthik.
Police soon found Karthik’s hideout, an abandoned house at Kannampalayam. Investigators said he attempted to escape by jumping off the terrace. He sustained injuries, including multiple fractures.
Investigators claimed that Karthik had confessed to luring the girl, sexually assaulting her, and later murdering her. Mohanraj reportedly assisted Karthik in committing the crime.
Officer Bharathi said the investigation was still underway and steps were being taken to extend relief for the victim’s family at the earliest.
She assured a speedy trial to ensure justice for the deceased.
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Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said his government is committed to ensuring strict punishment under the law for those involved in such atrocities against women and children.
“The horrific incident that happened to a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore yesterday has caused immense pain and shock. Such inhuman and unforgivable crimes can never be accepted in our society,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
“I share my deepest grief with the family members of the young girl, who are devastated by the loss of their beloved child,” he added.
Confirming that two people have been arrested, Vijay said he has instructed the police to conduct an intensive and swift investigation and to take all necessary steps to immediately file the chargesheet.
Earlier, tension prevailed outside the Sulur police station as the girl’s relatives and neighbours staged an overnight sit-in protest and blocked the road. They demanded stringent action against the perpetrators of the brutal crime.
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The Tamil Nadu State Executive Committee of the Communist Party of India (CPI), on Saturday, strongly condemned the sexual assault and murder of the girl, and called for swift and stringent action against the accused.
In a media statement, CPI Tamil Nadu State Secretary M Veerapandian said the incident had caused shockwaves across Tamil Nadu and expressed concern over the recurrence of such crimes.
The party noted that the accused had been arrested within hours of the complaint being filed and urged the Tamil Nadu government to take firm and immediate steps to ensure strict punishment under the law.
The CPI also demanded measures on a “war footing” to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The party urged the authorities to introduce discussions on personal safety and gender equality among school and college students, and incorporate them into the curricula.
The statement added that such initiatives would help create awareness about gender sensitivity and self-protection among children and students. The party further stressed the need for awareness campaigns to foster a mindset that treats women and children with dignity and humanity.
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Meanwhile, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi termed the incident “shocking and painful”. She claimed that the continuing incidents of violence against women and children over the past few weeks have created widespread fear among the public.
She urged the newly formed state government to act swiftly, without being complacent and take immediate measures in response to such crimes.
CPI(M) State Secretary P Shanmugam said the incident has shocked the entire state.
“The child was subjected to extreme brutality, with her face and eyes disfigured before she was killed,” he said in a statement on Saturday, and termed the crime inhuman and barbaric.
Noting the arrest of two men, the party urged the authorities to conduct a speedy investigation and ensure maximum punishment for the accused.
The CPI(M) also called upon the Tamil Nadu government and police department to take effective measures to ensure the safety and security of women and children.
