Puducherry court set to deliver verdict on kidnap, rape and murder of Class V girl

PUDUCHERRY: A fast-track court handling one of the most gruesome case of abduction, rape and murder of a Class V girl two years ago, is set to deliver the judgment on April 30. Of the two suspects, one died by suicide in jail in his third attempt, while the other is awaiting the verdict. The trial concluded on Friday.

The victim went missing on March 2, 2024, while playing near her home. Following a massive search operation and public protests, her body was recovered three days later on March 5, 2024. The young girl’s body was found bundled in a gunny bag and dumped in a drain near her residence, with her hands and legs tied.

Muthialpet police arrested two people in connection with the crime. The arrested were identified as M Karunass alias Kakka, 20, and G Vivekanandan, 59, both residents of the same locality. According to the investigation, the duo, under the influence of alcohol and ganja, kidnapped the child and took her to one of their houses with the intent of sexual assault.

When the child lost consciousness during the ordeal, the accused panicked, murdered her, and disposed of the body in a nearby drain.

Vivekanandan, who was lodged at Puducherry central prison, ended his life by hanging in the prison toilet in Sept 2024. He had attempted suicide twice earlier, once by consuming soap oil and the second time by strangling himself with his shirt. The trial against Karunass continued.

Police submitted a 500-page chargesheet before the special Pocso court. The prosecution and defence concluded their arguments on Friday. The judge, M D Sumathi, announced that the judgment would be pronounced on April 30, 2026.

The brutal crime rocked not only Puducherry but the entire nation, with leaders cutting across party lines demanding stringent action against the culprits and concrete efforts to curb the liquor and drug menace in the Union territory. The govt gave a solatium of Rs 20 lakh to the parents of the murdered girl.

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