The police on Sunday arrested 34-year-old Santosh Kumar for raping and murdering a 7-year-old girl child from Coimbatore, almost a week after the crime came to light. The accused has confessed to sexually assaulting the child twice before the fateful incident that led to her death, the police said.
Speaking to TNM, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Coimbatore, Mani, said, “He was the girl’s neighbour. He will be taken before the Judicial Magistrate late on Sunday or early on Monday. He has confessed to the crime and a case has been registered under IPC section 376A (causing death of rape victim) in addition to 5(l) (Whoever commits penetrative sexual assault on the child more than once or repeatedly), 5(m) (Whoever commits penetrative sexual assault on a child below twelve years) and 6 (Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.”
Late on March 25, a missing complaint was filed at Thudiyalur Police station by the child’s mother, a resident of Pannimadai. Soon after, early on Tuesday, the mutilated body of the child was discovered by the police in an alley close to her house in Pannimadai. Autopsy report suggested the child was raped before being smothered to death.
Santosh Kumar, a resident of Thondamuthur in Coimbatore, moved to live in with his ageing grandmother in Pannimadai about three months ago. This is where he sexually abused the child before finally raping and killing her in cold blood.
Santosh Kumar is employed as an interior worker. His grandmother passed away earlier this week, due to age related ailments, the same night the crime came to light. The police do not suspect any foul play in her death. “She was ill for about a month and her death was due to natural causes,” said DSP Mani.
The day when the incident occurred, the child was playing outside Santosh Kumar’s house. On the pretext of helping her when she fell, Santosh took her to his house where he allegedly sexually assaulted and killed her, the police said.
The police also said that Santosh Kumar’s grandmother’s demise that evening proved to be convenient for him to hide the child’s body inside his own house. He then did away the body in the wee hours of March 26, by using his T-shirt to hide her body.