A 19-year-old man was arrested by the police for allegedly raping and murdering a six-year-old boy in a village in Dharmapuri district on Wednesday. After the crime, which reportedly took place on July 16, the man dumped the body of the boy in an overhead tank.
According to a report to Times of India, the crime came to light after the parents of the boy filed a missing complaint. Based on the complaint, the police started a search and grew suspicious of a relative of the victim. They then nabbed the suspect M Prakash of the same village.
The police quizzed Prakash and during interrogation, Prakash confessed to the crime. When asked about the body, Prakash took them to an unused overhead water tank in the village.
The police found the dumped body of the boy and recovered it.
DSP Stephen Jesubatham told TOI that Prakash gave chocolates and icecreams and became friends with the boy.
He said, Prakash on July 16 took the boy near the water tank. Prakash then started to sexually assault the minor. Once the boy started to cry for help, Prakash strangled the boy to death. He then tied the boy's arms and legs and dumped the body in the tank.
Upon learning this, the boy's relatives blocked the road and demanded the police take action against the murderer.
The police registered a case against Prakash. Later, they arrested Prakash and sent him to judicial custody. He is currently lodged at Salem Central Prison. Prakash was reportedly related to the minor.
In February 2021, a mahila court in Pudukottai awarded a triple death sentence to a man for the rape and murder of a minor with learning disabilities in Pudukottai district. The crime took place in December 2019.