COIMBATORE: A ten-year-old girl, who went missing on Thursday evening, was found dead in a pond near Sulur on Friday.

According to police, the girl, a resident of a village near Sulur, had gone to a nearby shop close to her home on Thursday evening but did not return thereafter. When she failed to come back home, her family and villagers launched a search, but she could not be traced.

As concerns grew, some villagers alleged that the child may have been abducted by two men on a two-wheeler. Following this, the Sulur police registered a case and intensified the search.

On Friday evening, the police discovered the girl’s body in a pond at Kannampalayam, near Sulur. Officials suspect that she may have been murdered and her body was later dumped in the water body.

The girl's body was sent to the Government ESI Hospital in Singanallur for post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Meanwhile, family members gathered at the hospital and staged a protest, alleging that the child may have been sexually assaulted before being killed. The police from the Singanallur station reached the spot and held talks with the protesters, assuring strict action against the offenders.

The police sources said that two persons have been detained in connection with the case, and further investigation is under way. The official added that the post-mortem report will be crucial in determining whether any sexual assault took place.