KARAIKAL: Karaikal police on Tuesday arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly raping and murdering a nine-year-old boy who tried to fight him off.
During inquiry, the accused, identified as C Arulraj (27), who was even part of a police search to trace the boy who went missing on January 17, confessed to the crime, sources said.
The Class 4 student was last seen during a sports meet organised on the occasion of Kaanum Pongal on January 17. The police registered a case and began a search to trace the boy after his mother lodged a complaint. The boy’s naked body with injuries was spotted in a channel the same day.
A post-mortem was conducted and the case was altered to include Section 174 (unnatural death) of the CrPC. Samples were sent for to Puducherry for advanced forensic analysis.
The investigation over the past few days zeroed in on Arulraj, an earthmover operator. “He confessed of committing penetrative sexual assault on the boy. As the victim tried to fight him off, the accused drowned the boy,” Karaikal SSP Manish said.
“When the accused was called for an interrogation, he initially gave contradicting statements but later confessed,” said Nedungadu inspector B Sendhil Kumar. The case was again altered to include Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act and IPC Section 302 (murder).
The forensic analysis report is awaited.