Accused in sexual assault and murder of minor girl in U.T. remanded in custody

Two accused in Puducherry girl's assault and murder case remanded in custody; investigation ongoing with SIT and forensic experts.

The two accused persons who were arrested in connection with the sexual assault and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Puducherry were remanded in judicial custody on Thursday.

Puducherry Third Additional Judge M. Elavarasan conducted the remand proceedings at the Kalapet Central Prison, following reports of protests planned by advocates against the accused , G. Vivekanandan and Kakka, alias Karuna, sources said.

After their arrests, the Puducherry Bar Council decided not to provide legal assistance to the culprits. “Considering the sensitive nature of the case, we decided not to produce the accused in the court. The Judge visited the prison and remanded the accused in judicial custody. We will decide on taking the accused again for questioning as the investigation progresses,” a police officer said.

The body of the girl was found inside a drain near her residence on Tuesday, after she went missing from her house on March 2. The accused were booked under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Acts, and several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302, 363 and 342. More sections could be added depending on the medical report, the officer added.

The Police Department has constituted a Special Investigation Team, headed by Senior Superintendent of Police R. Kalaivanan. Superintendent of Police, East, Lakshmi Soujanya will be the Investigating Officer.

The SIT, along with forensic experts, visited the crime spot on Thursday and gathered more scientific evidence from the place where the body was recovered. “We have fast-tracked the investigation. Based on the confessions of the accused and corroborating evidence collected, we are hopeful of filing the chargesheet in five to six weeks. We will be getting the post-mortem report shortly. Samples have been sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL). We will also request the CFSL to submit the report at the earliest,” the officer added.

The government will also approach the court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis once the charge sheet is filed, the police said.