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 was attacked by fellow inmates inside Coimbatore Central Prison on Saturday.
The accused, Karthik, sustained injuries after a group of prisoners allegedly assaulted him using steel plates and spoons inside the prison premises. Prison officials intervened and rescued him before shifting him to the Coimbatore Government Hospital for treatment.
According to Thanthi TV report, Karthik had been lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison on May 28 after being discharged from hospital, where he underwent treatment for injuries sustained while attempting to evade arrest. Officials said the attack took place inside a prison block and that jail wardens rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Prison authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident and are examining whether there were any lapses in security inside the prison.
The attack comes amid widespread outrage over the rape and murder of the 10-year-old girl from Kannampalayam near Sulur.
According to investigators, the child had been playing near her house when Karthik allegedly approached her and offered to buy chocolates and snacks. CCTV footage examined by police allegedly showed him taking the girl on his motorcycle towards an isolated area near the Kannampalayam lake bund.
Police said Karthik allegedly sexually assaulted the child inside a coconut grove and later strangled her after she screamed during the assault. The girl's body was subsequently found abandoned in bushes near the grove.
Karthik and his friend Mohan (30) were later arrested by Sulur police. Investigators alleged that Karthik had informed Mohan about the crime, but he neither alerted authorities nor disclosed the information while participating in the search for the missing child along with local residents and relatives.
Police traced Karthik after analysing surveillance footage from the area. During attempts to evade arrest, he allegedly jumped from the second floor of a building, suffering fractures to his arms and legs. After receiving treatment at the Coimbatore Government Hospital, he was remanded in judicial custody and lodged in Coimbatore Central Prison on May 28.
(With inputs from bureau)