TIRUCHIRAPALLI: A 43-year-old man has been arrested under the POCSO Act after a minor girl was found unconscious on a road here, police said on Thursday.
The 14-year-old girl is currently undergoing treatment under intensive medical care, they said.
According to sources, the girl was found unconscious in the Keeraikadai Bazaar area on Wednesday evening.
Following the incident, the girl's parents and relatives staged a protest outside the Government Hospital on Wednesday night, demanding immediate justice and stringent action against the accused, identified as Mariselvan of Sivaganga.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitators, after which the protest was called off, sources added.
Meanwhile, DMK MP Kanimozhi has launched a sharp critique against the state administration's handling of law and order.
Taking to X, the senior leader highlighted the growing sense of fear among women due to recurring criminal incidents.
"The abduction and sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in Trichy is shocking and deeply painful. While women are frozen in fear due to continuous criminal incidents, the TVK government is not taking responsibility," Kanimozhi wrote in her official X account.
The DMK MP also questioned the silence of Chief Minister Vijay, who also holds the Home portfolio responsible for the police department.
"Chief Minister Vijay, who holds responsibility for the police department, is not going to offer an explanation regarding law and order; nor is any action going to be taken, no matter what happens. Is it because of this audacity that the criminals are roaming freely?" she asked.