COIMBATORE — A horrific incident has sent shockwaves through Tamil Nadu after a 10-year-old girl was kidnapped and brutally murdered on her way to a local grocery store near Sulur, on the outskirts of Coimbatore. The minor, a Class V student at a government school, went missing on Thursday evening, May 21, 2026. Her body was recovered from the Kannampalayam tank bed the following day, sparking massive public outrage and overnight road blockades.

The state police have successfully arrested two prime suspects following an intensive investigation aided by localized closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance.

How the Tragedy Unfolded

According to senior police officials, the young girl left her residence in Pallapalayam on Thursday evening to buy items from a nearby grocery shop. When she failed to return home within a reasonable timeframe, her alarmed parents and neighbors launched a frantic search throughout the neighborhood.

Upon questioning staff at the grocery store and reviewing area security footage, it was discovered that a man on a two-wheeler had intercepted the minor. Realizing she had been abducted, the family filed an emergency missing person report at the Sulur police station on Thursday night.

A massive search operation culminated on Friday evening, May 22, when local authorities received a tip-off regarding a child's body lying on the banks of the Kannampalayam lake. A police team rushed to the spot, retrieved the body, and identified it as the missing 10-year-old. The body was immediately shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for a comprehensive post-mortem examination.

Police Apprehend the Suspects

Following an expedited investigation directed by Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police (SP) Allatipalli Pavan Kumar Reddy, law enforcement identified the culprits using targeted surveillance feeds. The two accused have been identified as 33-year-old Karthik (a load man originally from Nagapattinam) and his associate Mohanraj (a wall painter from Thanjavur). Both individuals had been residing in the Pallapalayam locality for nearly a decade and were reportedly known to the victim's family.

Investigation details revealed that Karthik lured the child onto his motorcycle under the false pretext of buying her chocolates. He, along with Mohanraj, transported her to an isolated coconut farm adjacent to the Kannampalayam tank.

“They attempted to assault her sexually. They murdered her when she resisted and screamed for help, subsequently dumping her body in the tank,” a police officer privy to the investigation stated.

In an unsettling twist, local sources revealed that both suspects had initially joined the family and local residents in the search parties to avoid drawing suspicion. During a later attempt to evade police capture, Karthik reportedly sustained fractures to his right arm and right leg and is currently under police guard at a government hospital. Mohanraj has been produced before the Sulur Magistrate Court and remanded to judicial custody.

Widespread Public Outrage and Political Response

The discovery of the minor's body triggered immediate, intense protests from the community. Beginning at 9:00 PM on Friday night, hundreds of residents staged a rigid road blockade on Tiruchi Road right in front of the Sulur police station, demanding immediate justice and capital punishment for the perpetrators. The agitation lasted for roughly eight hours until 5:00 AM on Saturday, forcing authorities to deploy over 300 personnel and divert arterial traffic. Top officials, including Inspector General of Police (West Zone) R.V. Ramya Bharathi, camped at the venue to conduct peace talks.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expressed deep grief and shock over the brutal crime on Saturday. The Chief Minister issued strict directives to the state police department to fast-track the probe, ensure a airtight legal case, and file the official charge sheet as early as possible to secure maximum punishment for the accused.