Six people are being interrogated in connection with the alleged rape and killing of a seven-year-old girl near here, which evoked protests by outraged locals, police said Thursday.
The six, including the girl's neighbour, have been detained after the postmortem revealed she had been sexually assaulted before the killing, they said.
Coming close on the heels of sexual harassment of women in nearby Pollachi, the rape of the minor girl received widespread condemnation, including from leaders of political parties, with some demanding death sentence for the criminals.
The class II student, reported missing since the evening of March 25, was found dead with limbs tied and injuries on the body the next morning.
Initially, it was suspected to be a murder but the postmortem report Wednesday said the girl was sexually assaulted and throttled to death.
On Thursday, over 500 people squatted on the road seeking justice for the girl, resulting in traffic disruption for nearly four hours.
The protestors dispersed after the police assured stringent action against the culprits.
The parents and some members of women's organisations submitted a memorandum to the district collector, seeking immediate arrest of the accused and stringent punishment for them.
Police have sought information from the public on the perpetrators of the crime, assuring a suitable reward.
Pamphlets were pasted across the city and the rural areas.
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