DINDIGUL: A 31-year-old man and his wife were arrested in Dindigul on Friday for murder and offences under POCSO Act after a four-year-old girl, sexually assaulted by the man and tortured by them, died at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Friday, three days after admission.
The girl’s parents are residents of Palladam in the Namakkal district. The victim was their only child and they used to leave her with Malliga, one of their neighbours while leaving for work. Fifteen days ago, Malliga’s sister Kirthiga (23) and her husband Rajeshkumar, who visited Malliga’s house, befriended the child.
The suspects were childless and they spent a lot of time playing with the girl. When it was time for them to leave, they asked the child’s parents if they could take the child to their village and spend 10 days with her. The parents agreed to this as Kirthiga and Rajeshkumar seemed to like the child.
However, the happiness didn’t last long after they reached Sengulathupatti in Dindigul district. Sources said the couple was frustrated with the child not obeying their every word. “The couple inflicted burn injuries on the child and tortured her. Rajeshkumar also sexually assaulted the child. The girl became very ill and the couple took her to the government hospital in Dindigul on Tuesday, from where she was referred to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on Wednesday,” sources added.
On Friday, Vadamadurai police registered a case based on a complaint from the victim’s mother and arrested Rajeshkumar and Kirthiga.
Superintendent of Police V Baskaran told TNIE, “There were several branding injuries on the child’s body. The back of her head was also injured. The suspects have confessed to their crimes, and have been booked under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, section 302 of IPC and 5(m), 6, and 17 of the POCSO Act.”