VELLORE: A 15-year-old boy, Vikram (name changed), studying in Class X of the government high school in Machanur near K V Kuppam was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to sexually assault and murder 11-year-old Keerthika (name changed). A special Vellore police team nabbed the accused from Hosur bus stand.
On Tuesday Keerthika was found dead with a dupatta tied around her neck in a mango grove in Kanguppam. Her limbs were tied and she had injuries on her body.
The victim’s mother had complained to the police that her daughter was last seen with Vikram on Monday afternoon and that one of her relatives had also seen Vikram and Keerthika together near the crime scene around 1 pm on the day of the incident. Following the complaint, police arrested Vikram and claimed that the boy had confessed to having murdered the girl. The boy hails from the same village and school as Keerthika.
According to police, the boy took Keerthika to the desolate spot when they were on their way back from school. He then asked the girl to undress, which she refused and threatened to inform her parents.
Enraged by this, Vikram strangled her with her dupatta and after she swooned, tied her hands and legs using her ribbons. He then smashed a glass bottle on her head and inflicted cut injuries on her body, police said. The boy also confessed to taking away Keerthika’s anklets and bicycle, which have since been recovered. He also confessed that he and his friends watch porn movies, which instigated him to commit the act.
Meanwhile, parents, relatives, and residents of Keerthika staged a road roko in Kanguppam on Wednesday demanding action against the culprit. Police pacified them following which the agitation was withdrawn.