COIMBATORE: A 33-year-old construction worker arrested in connection with the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl near Sulur in Coimbatore district allegedly told police that he strangled the child after she screamed during the assault, investigators said.
The accused, Karthik, and his friend Mohan, 30, were arrested by Sulur police after CCTV footage allegedly showed Karthik taking the girl on his motorcycle. The child’s body was later recovered from bushes near a coconut grove close to the Kannampalayam lake bund.
According to investigators, the girl had been playing near her house when Karthik allegedly approached her, offering to buy chocolates and snacks. Police said he first stopped at a shop before taking the child towards an isolated stretch near the lake bund.
During interrogation, Karthik allegedly told police that he sexually assaulted the child in a coconut grove area. Investigators said the girl screamed during the assault and continued shouting despite threats, following which he allegedly strangled her, fearing that others might hear the noise.
Police said the accused later abandoned the body in nearby bushes. Investigators further stated that Karthik allegedly informed Mohan about the crime, but the latter neither alerted authorities nor revealed the information while participating in the search for the missing child along with local residents and relatives.
The accused was traced after police examined surveillance camera footage from the area. During attempts to evade arrest, Karthik allegedly jumped from the second floor of a building, sustaining fractures to his arms and legs. He is currently undergoing treatment under police security at Coimbatore Government Hospital after being shifted from the intensive care unit to the prisoners’ ward.
Police have seized the mobile phones of both accused, and further investigation is underway.