Youth held for sexual abuse, murder of infant in Coimbatore

Coimbatore: In a shockingly beastly act bordering on the insane in Negamam near here, an eight month-old-baby was allegedly sexually abused and murdered in a ghastly manner by slamming her body on the floor by a youth on Thursday.  

On Friday morning, police arrested the accused Sanjith, 22, a migrant worker from Bihar, while he was waiting to board a bus to his native village.

Police said the baby’s father D. Thun Thun, 23, and mother Maladevi, both hailing from Bihar and working in a coir mill had gone to work after lunch leaving behind their baby in the care of an eight-year-old girl. They were residing in the quarters along with several other co-workers from Bihar provided by the mill at Kondekavundampalayam.

At around 4.15 pm, Maladevi returned home and found her child lying unconscious and was profusely bleeding with severe injuries.

Immediately the baby was rushed to Pollachi Government hospital; however, doctors declared that the child had died already. An autopsy at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Friday revealed that the child was sexually abused. The baby also suffered a fracture in its skull.

Enquiries by Negamam police revealed that R. Sanjith, living in the same quarters had gone missing; police launched a hunt and nabbed him at the Kinathukadavu bus stand on Friday morning.

He was waiting to board a bus and flee to his native village in Bihar. He confessed to police to have killed the child by slamming it on the ground. When the baby was alone, the culprit grabbed her away to an isolated location and tried to sexually abuse her. As the child cried aloud, Sanjith, in an act of cruelty, grabbed the baby’s legs and slammed her on the ground. He then left the girl child at her house and fled.

Police have registered a case against the migrant worker under the ‘Pocso Act’ and IPC section 302 for murder.