THOOTHUKUDI: Tension prevailed in Thoothukudi district after a 17-year-old Class 12 student from Vedanatham village in Thoothukudi was found dead in a forest area, triggering protests and road blockades by villagers demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible.
The villagers are involved in back-to-back protests demanding the arrest of the culprits and have refused to receive the body until credible action is taken.
Angered by the incident, the girl’s relatives and residents staged a road blockade near the Vedanatham bus stop on the Kurukku Salai–Rameswaram road, alleging delay in registering their complaint and seeking action against police officials.
According to the family, the student had left her house on the evening of March 10 and did not return. Her father, Subburaj, and relatives searched for her in nearby areas and later approached the Kulathur police station to lodge a complaint.
They alleged that police directed them to approach the Vilathikulam All Women Police Station as the girl was a minor, and that their complaint was not immediately received, forcing them to go between the two police stations before the case was eventually registered.
Meanwhile, the student was later found dead with injuries on her face in a nearby forest area.
After back-to-back protests of villagers demanding the arrest of the culprits, Thoothukudi police have formed six special teams to crack the case
Police recovered the body and sent it to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Following the incident, relatives and villagers launched a protests. They dispersed after pacification. However, as no arrests had been made by Thursday, another road blockade was launched. Police later said six special teams had been formed to investigate the case.
Thoothukudi Superintendent Madan clarified that the body was found intact and that whether the minor was subjected to any sexual offence would be known only after a post-mortem.