A three-year-old girl reportedly died after she was lured with biscuits and sexually assaulted in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur district on Sunday, allegedly by a migrant worker from Bihar, who has now been arrested in the case.
Investigations revealed that only one person was involved in the accident. The accused and the child are from Bihar, police told news agency ANI.
The death of a 3-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted
The girl was reportedly found in a heavily wooded area with serious injuries on Sunday. She was taken to hospital where she died during treatment on Monday.
Police said the child knew the accused. He allegedly lured her by offering biscuits, took her away and sexually assaulted her, NDTV reported.
The accused was reportedly arrested by local residents before being handed over to the police. Following the incident, some other individuals were also attacked by local residents who suspected their involvement.
However, the police rejected the accusations that several people were involved in the crime. They said that the investigation found only one accused.
It is worth noting that the child’s family, originally from Bihar, lived in the Sikot industrial area of Gummedipundi sub-division in Tiruvallur district.
The police first registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. However, after the child’s death, murder charges are also expected to be added, the report said.
A political row erupted, and the DMK targeted CM Vijay
A political controversy erupted over the incident with opposition leaders targeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling TVK party chief C Joseph Vijay over law and order, especially days after he announced the launch of the ‘Singaben Special Force’, a dedicated women’s safety unit aimed at improving the protection of women and girls.
In a statement published on
“I was shocked to learn that a 3-year-old boy died after being sexually assaulted and dumped in the bush near Gumedibundi. The police must identify the actual perpetrators of this crime and ensure they get severe punishment,” he wrote.
“Across Tamil Nadu, law and order is collapsing to the point that it is virtually on life support. Although the government has been in power for over a month, the Prime Minister does not seem to be taking any decisive action to restore law and order,” Stalin added.
He said that if such crimes continue, “the DMK will not hesitate to mobilize the public and take to the streets to protest with the permission of our leader.”
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami also criticized the government, calling it a “sham” and urging it to “focus on actually maintaining law and order”.
He wrote on the
Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai said the incident “caused deep shock and grief” and criticized the “involvement of individuals from north Indian states in crimes” occurring in parts of Tamil Nadu.
He also urged the government to “take immediate action” in this regard.
With input from agencies
