Public anger erupted in Coimbatore after a 10-year-old girl was found dead near a pond, with police arresting two accused and the CM promising strict punishment.
Police officials interact with family members and local residents in Coimbatore’s Sulur area after the murder of a 10-year-old girl sparked protests and outrage. | ANI
The murder of a 10-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district has triggered outrage across the state, with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay calling the incident “inhuman and unforgivable” and promising strict punishment for those responsible.
The case has sparked protests, political reactions and heightened police deployment in Sulur after the child’s body was found near a pond days after she went missing while reportedly playing outside her house. Two accused arrested in connection with the case have been remanded to judicial custody.
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On Saturday, the second accused, identified as Mohanraj, was produced before the Sulur Judicial Magistrate Court and remanded to judicial custody till May 27.
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Police had earlier arrested Karthick, a 33-year-old daily wage worker from Nagapattinam currently residing near Coimbatore, along with Mohanraj. Investigators said the accused were known to the victim’s family and allegedly lured the child away on the pretext of buying chocolates.
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Vijay said the murder had caused “immense pain and shock”.
“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,” Vijay said in a statement shared by the Tamil Nadu CMO.
The Chief Minister expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said he had directed police to carry out a thorough and speedy investigation into the case.
“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,” he added.
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
Tamil Nadu Minister V Sampath, who visited the victim’s family at the hospital, also assured that the accused would face the “highest capital punishment”.
The murder triggered anger among local residents, leading to a prolonged road blockade outside the Sulur police station on Tiruchi Road.
According to officials, the protest began at around 9 pm on Friday and continued till nearly 5 am on Saturday, disrupting traffic movement along the arterial stretch.
Around 300 police personnel were deployed in the area as senior officers supervised the investigation through the night.
TVK MLA from Sulur constituency NM Sukumar, who visited the protest site and later met the victim’s family, demanded stringent punishment for the accused.
“Accused individuals of this kind must be encountered,” Sukumar told ANI.
Police said CCTV footage from the area helped investigators trace the suspects and reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crime.
The child’s relatives have alleged sexual assault and demanded strict punishment for those arrested.
Speaking outside the ESI Hospital, the victim’s uncle, Palanisamy, said the family was informed only late on Thursday night that the girl had gone missing.
“We still do not know what happened, and now we cannot even see the body of our child,” he said.
Another relative, Senthil Kumar, alleged that protesters seeking justice were removed by police personnel during demonstrations near the station.
Police suspect the child may have been strangled to death. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination at the Government Hospital.
Officials also said accused Karthick sustained fractures while allegedly attempting to escape custody after spotting police teams approaching him. According to investigators, he jumped from a building near Kannampalayam during the chase.
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