A Class VII girl was found dead, with injuries on her body, near the Thadhankulam railway station here on Friday, triggering protests by her relatives and the public.
The thirteen-year-old girl from Kilakulam in the Karungulam union studied at a private school at Nazareth.
Though she used to stay at a private hostel in Nazareth, she was going to school from the house following the start of the half-yearly exams.
Around 6.45 am on Thursday, she set out for school. Her friends apparently saw her approaching the station while the Chendur Express trains passed by. However, they did not see her after that. Even when they boarded the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur passenger at 7.45 am, she was nowhere to be seen. The girls figured that she would have boarded some other compartment. However, when she did not turn up at school, her friends, after returning home, informed her mother.
Her grandfather Muthuperumal, following a futile search, lodged a complaint with the police.
On Friday morning, police received information that a schoolgirl was found dead near the Thadhankulam railway station.
The victim was later identified as the missing schoolgirl. The victim still had the school uniform on and there were injuries and nail marks on her face.
She could have been strangulated with her ‘dupatta’, police said, adding that whether it was a case of rape and murder could be ascertained only on the basis of a post mortem.
Thoothukudi SP J Rajendran and Srivaikundam DSP Mani rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry. Four special teams led by three DSPs and one ADSP have been formed to nab the culprits, the SP told Express.
The body was sent to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.