A Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) functionary from Krishnagiri was arrested, on Friday, February 27, for the alleged aggravated sexual assault that led to the death of a 2.5-year-old girl. The accused M Periyanayagam, also known as Kalaignar, is a resident of Jesurajapuram in Anchetty, was the youth wing branch secretary of the DMK, according to reports.
According to a TNIE report, Periyanayagam got into a relationship with a 24-year-old woman working as a mason and started living with her. The woman had separated from her husband and returned to her native village with her toddler. On December 11, 2025, the child had an episode of seizure and was taken to a private hospital, where she was declared brought dead.
Following this, the girl’s father filed a complaint at the Anchetty police station, leading to the registration of a case of suspicious death. “A postmortem was conducted, which showed significant internal injuries, prompting us to treat the case as a criminal matter,” Times of India quoted a police officer as saying.
According to the police, Periyanayagam had allegedly sexually assaulted the girl when her mother was not around, and the aggravated sexual assault caused fatal injuries leading to the death of the child.
Periyanayagam was charged for causing fatal injuries under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was remanded to judicial custody by the Mahila Court.
Responding to the incident, TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna slammed the DMK government for allegedly failing to prevent crimes against women and children. “Women's safety in Tamil Nadu has now become a major question mark. From the sexual assault on a student at Anna University to the ongoing trend of crimes against women increasing day by day, these events have instilled fear among women towards this government. As a continuation of this, a two-and-a-half-year-old child has now been subjected to sexual abuse,” he said.
He claimed that the DMK government's alleged indifference has emboldened those with criminal mindsets to act without fear. “I demand that appropriate punishment be meted out to the person involved in this violence. The DMK government, which has failed to prevent crimes against women and children, will be taught a fitting lesson by the people,” he said in a statement.