The 35-year-old woman who was detained by the Chennai city police on Sunday, for murdering a three-year-old girl in Ennore, was arrested on Monday. She has reportedly confessed that poverty drove her to commit the crime.
The child went missing on Saturday evening and the body was found in a dumpyard about 5 km from her house in Tsunami Nagar.
The gruesome murder shocked the residents of the area, who took to the streets for the second day demanding the arrest of the murderers.
Meanwhile, politicians, including DMK working president, M. K. Stalin, visited the girl’s house and consoled the family.
The police detained a neighbour Revathi (35) on suspicion on Sunday. On investigation, it was found that she had committed the murder for gain.
According to police, Revathi who lived in the house opposite to the residence of the victim’s family was not able to pay the rent for 10 months. “So she took the child under the pretext of giving lunch to her. After taking the child to her house, Revathi smothered her to death and then removed the silver anklets, waist chain and a gold pendant before dumping her body in the nearest dumpyard,” said a senior police officer.
Police found the mutilated and partially burnt bodyin a dumpyard five km away from the child’s house.
Revathi was produced before a judicial magistrate’s court in Ponneri, which remanded her in custody. The police are also interrogating Revathi’s family members.
The three-year-old was the second child of Palani, a fisherman, who had taken up work in a printing press, and his wife Kalaivani.
On Saturday afternoon, the mother grew anxious when the girl did not return home after going out to play. Following a fruitless search, the couple lodged a complaint with the Ennore police.
CM announces solatium
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday announced a solatium of ₹3 lakh to the child’s family.
On February 7, a seven-year-old gi was sexually assaulted and burnt to death in Mugalivakkam. Yaswanth, a neighbour (23) working in a computer servicing company, was arrested for the offence. The body was found in a travel bag dumped on the highway in Chennai. The Class III student was allegedly kidnapped while she was playing.
