CHENNAI: Residents of Adhanur, near Manimangalam, thrashed a construction worker on Sunday night following allegations that he attempted to harass a 10-year-old girl.

The incident occurred around 9 pm, as the young girl was walking past a site where migrant workers were staying. Police said that one of the workers, who had been consuming alcohol, followed and attempted to molest her. The girl managed to escape and immediately alerted her family.

Angered by the incident, residents gathered and questioned the workers. After the girl identified the suspect, they detained and thrashed him before calling the police.

The Manimangalam police arrived at the spot and took the suspect to a nearby private hospital for his injuries. After preliminary investigations, police identified the suspect as Jai Shah (43) of Bihar, who had been working at the site for six months and are investigating.