SIT to probe gruesome murder of Pondy girl

PUDUCHERRY: In the wake of widespread protest from various organisations and political parties condemning the alleged murder of a minor girl in the union territory, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to investigate the case, police said on Thursday.

G Vivekanandan (52) and M Kakka alias Karunaas (19) have been arrested in connection with the murder of a nine-yearold girl. Cases have been registered under different sections of the IPC including section 302 (punishment for murder), a release said.

Police have also registered cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and also under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act read with section 34 of the IPC.

The SIT is headed by Senior Superintendent of Police R Kalaivanan and has the Superintendent of Police (East) Lakshmi Sujanya as the investigating officer. Inspector of Police Ganesh and the Sub Inspector of Police Sivaprakasam would assist the SIT.

The team would work under the overall supervision of the Deputy Inspector General of Police Brijendra Kumar Yadav, the release said. The minor girl studying class V had gone missing on March 2. The parents lodged a complaint with the police in Muthialpet block.

The girl’s body was found floating in a sack in a drain near her house in Muthialpet block on Tuesday.

Volunteers and representatives of various organisations held demonstrations on Wednesday demanding deterrent action against the culprits involved in the crime.

Demonstrators gathered in on the seashore behind the Mahatma Gandhi statue here, raising slogans condemning the heinous crime and demanded capital punishment.