COIMBATORE: Deeply shocked by the 10-year-old girl’s death, her relatives have demanded capital punishment for the two suspects arrested on charges of sexual assault, kidnapping, and murder.
“The punishment for the suspects, K Karthi and R Mohan, should be delivered at the earliest and must serve as a deterrent so that no one dares to commit such offences in the future,” said a woman relative, who was inconsolable on the premises of ESI Hospital.
The girl’s relatives who had gathered at the hospital near Varadharajapuram to receive the body alleged that the suspects had disfigured her face and that there were multiple injuries on her body.
However, IG (West Zone) RV Ramya Bharathi denied the claims and refrained from sharing details, citing the sensitivity of the case. She also urged the media not to reveal the identity of the victim, in accordance with the Pocso Act norms.
After the postmortem, the girl’s parents took her body to their native near Kolathur in Salem. Backward Classes Welfare Minister V Sampathkumar and Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar offered their condolences to the parents after meeting them on Saturday.
Meanwhile, vehicular movement on Trichy Road was affected after the girl’s relatives staged a protest in front of Sulur police station on Friday, demanding the immediate arrest of the suspects.
The protest was called off at 5 am on Saturday, after police informed them that the suspects had been arrested. Speaking to reporters, Sampathkumar said he had instructed the police to file the charge sheet at the earliest.