CHENNAI: A three-year-old child died on Monday after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old man at Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district on Sunday night. The accused has been arrested, police said.
According to police, the girl's parents work at a steel company in the SIPCOT industrial estate.
The accused, a native of Bihar, was employed at the same firm along with the girl's father and lived in their neighbourhood.
On Sunday night, the girl was playing with other children on a street at Pudupettai near Gummidipoondi while her parents were at home.
The accused allegedly took her to a nearby shop on the pretext of buying her snacks and assaulted her at a secluded spot around 8 pm on Sunday , police said.
A passerby who witnessed the incident raised an alarm, following which residents gathered at the spot. The accused tried to flee but was caught by the public. Upon information, SIPCOT police reached the spot and arrested him.
The child was rescued and admitted to the government hospital at Kottakarai before being shifted to the Stanley Government Hospital in Chennai later in the day. She succumbed to her injuries on Monday morning.
A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
DMK leader TKS Elangovan called for stringent action against offenders and stronger government intervention in such cases.
“The government should take these incidents seriously and ensure strict punishment for those responsible. This is a social issue that requires focused attention,” he said, while also alleging that several recent cases involved members or functionaries of the ruling TVK.