A shocking incident from Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu has triggered massive outrage after a 10-year-old girl was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered by two daily wage labourers. The brutal crime led to protests in the area on Saturday, 23rd May, with residents and political leaders raising serious questions over the safety of women and children in the state.
The girl had gone missing on Thursday, 21st May, when she went out to buy groceries near her house. Her family and residents searched for her for hours, but when they could not find her, her parents approached the police and filed a missing complaint.
#WATCH | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Body of the 10-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered brought out of the ESI Hospital mortuary after autopsy.
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2026
Her body was discovered near the Kannampalayam tank in the Sulur area. Police have arrested two individuals in connection with the… pic.twitter.com/x4b489WrLL
During the investigation, police recovered the child’s body from an area near a water tank in Kannampalayam. The body was later sent for postmortem examination.
RV Ramya, Inspector General of Police (IGP) for Tamil Nadu’s West Zone, said CCTV footage became a breakthrough in the case. According to the police, the footage showed the main accused, Karthik, who was also the victim’s neighbour, taking the child with him.
Police said Karthik and another accused, Mohanraj, both aged 33 and working as daily wage labourers, were arrested within 24 hours. Investigators suspect Mohanraj was also involved in the crime, as Karthik had contacted him before and after the incident.
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu: Two persons, including prime suspect Karthi, were arrested in connection with the death of a 10-year-old girl near Sulur. Police said Karthi attempted to escape from Sulur police station during interrogation and suffered a fractured leg after falling. He… pic.twitter.com/UaoEftslrX
— IANS (@ians_india) May 23, 2026
“The postmortem report confirmed this as a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case. Within 24 hours, we were able to arrest the accused,” a senior police officer said.
Family refuses to accept the body, seeks assurance from CM
The girl’s mother said they would not accept the body from the mortuary until Chief Minister Joseph Vijay personally assured them of justice.
“We voted for change, but the Chief Minister has not even given a statement or assurance. It feels like nothing has changed with the government,” she said. Following growing public anger, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office later issued a statement condemning the incident.
“The horrific incident that occurred yesterday to a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore caused immense pain and shock. Such inhuman and unforgivable criminal acts can never be tolerated in our society,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders also targeted the government over the incident. BJP leader K Annamalai said, “The same lack of safety that prevailed during the DMK regime continues.”
