Coimbatore, May 23 (IANS) The incident of a 10-year-old girl being kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered near Sulur in Coimbatore district has shaken the entire state of Tamil Nadu, police said on Saturday.

The police have arrested two accused in the incident within 24 hours.

The girl, who lived with her parents in a village near Sulur, had gone to a nearby shop on Thursday evening but did not return home.

When the girl could not be found even after a long time, the worried parents searched the surrounding areas and filed a complaint at the Sulur police station.

Based on the complaint, the police have registered a case and started an extensive investigation.

Meanwhile, the body of a girl was found in the bushes on the banks of the Kannampalayam pond near Sulur on Thursday night.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, murdered and dumped here.

Speaking to the media about the incident, Inspector General of Police (Western Region) R.V. Ramya Bharathi said that immediate action was taken after receiving the complaint.

Five special investigation teams were formed after registering the case.

As part of the investigation, the accused were identified after examining about 250 CCTV footage.

During the police investigation, the main accused was identified as Karthi (33), a native of Nagapattinam. He lived in Pallapalayam near Coimbatore and had separated from his wife.

The police said that Karthi was a daily wage earner and was known to the girl’s family and lived nearby.

The police also arrested his accomplice, 30-year-old Mohanraj.

The investigating officers said that both were daily wage earners.

While the police were trying to catch Karthi, the police said that he tried to escape by jumping from the top floor of the building where he was hiding and in the process, he broke his leg and hand. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore government hospital.

The police said that a full post-mortem report is awaited and strict action will be taken against the accused under the POCSO Act.

The authorities have also said that steps have been taken to ensure government assistance to the affected family.

The police said that the culprits were arrested quickly and a charge sheet will be filed soon.

–IANS

aal/khz