A three-year-old child from Pudupettai village near the SIPCOT area in Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur district, died after being allegedly sexually assaulted, triggering shock and anger among residents.
According to the report, the child was playing near the house when a 19-year-old man, identified as Bipin Manjhi from Bihar, allegedly lured the child with biscuits, took the child away and assaulted the victim before leaving the child injured in a thorny bush. Villagers later found the child after hearing cries and rushed the victim first to the Gummidipoondi government hospital and then to Stanley Hospital in Chennai.
The child succumbed to injuries on Monday morning, police said. Residents staged a road blockade on the SIPCOT main road, demanding swift punishment for the accused and stronger measures to curb ganja-related activity and sexual crimes, along with steps such as installing CCTV cameras and registering the arrival of migrant workers.
Police held talks with protesters, and Ponneri Sub-Collector Abdul Rasiq later met residents and assured action on their demands, after which the protest eased. The accused has been arrested and is being questioned by SIPCOT police; the child’s body was handed over to the family after post-mortem at Stanley Hospital.
Tension resurfaced when residents expected the body to be brought to the village, but with the parents’ consent it was buried at a location near Ponneri due to the situation. A fresh blockade followed, and police intervened; one person who attempted self-harm by climbing an electric pole was rescued.
