Tamil Nadu: Madurai schoolgirl still in danger after spurned suitor set her ablaze, accused arrested

MADURAI: While the 14-year-old is battling for her life for the second day at GRH after being burnt by her spurned suitor, the district police, on Saturday, arrested the accused from T Kallupatti.

According to police, while S Balamurugan tried to escape from the police, he fractured his left leg. A special team led by DSP Ramakrishana took up the case and on Saturday the team chased Balamurugan. During the chase he tried to escape from police and fell down near Gopala Hills in T Kallupatti and fractured his left leg. He was taken to a government hospital for treatment and later was shifted to GRH.

The victim, Chitradevi, was studying in class XI at a Government Higher Secondary School in Achampatti. The incident happened around 5 pm on Friday, when the girl was waiting for a share auto to go back home. Sources said that Chitradevi and Balamurugan had a heated argument and during the argument he poured petrol on her and set her ablaze. Following this, she was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Judicial Magistrate II K Sakthivel visited the hospital and recorded her statement.

Thirumangalam Taluk police registered a case against Balamurugan under IPC sections 342, 294 (b) and 307; 10 and 12 of POCSO Act. Based on this gruesome attack, Express got in touch with experts in psychology, who opined that more awareness had to be spread among girls to handle such sensitive situations in order to safeguard themselves.

“Though the problem is with boys in general, the losers are girls. The need of the hour is girls should learn to handle such people,” said P Raja Soundara Pandian, counsellor and psychotherapist of a private hospital in Madurai. He further said, “Though parents and teachers let children know about good and bad touch, they however fail to teach them, how to handle situations. If a person approach a girl with a wrong intention, she fails to safeguard herself.”

Another psychiatrist, who requested anonymity said that people like Balamurugan could be anti-social or they might be affected with impulse control disease.

Youth held for kidnapping minor girl

Coimbatore: Police arrested a 23-year-old youth for allegedly kidnapping a minor girl with the intention to marry her near Perur. The youth was identified as P Aravind, a car driver from Sundakkamuthur. On Sunday last, a 17-year-old girl had gone missing.

After a concerted search effort, her parents and relatives came to know that Aravind had kidnapped her. Subsequently, parents of the victim lodged a complaint with Perur police, which confirmed that the girl had eloped with Aravind.

The duo had been to nearby districts before returning to Coimbatore on Friday. Based on a tip-off, the Perur police secured them. Investigations revealed that both were in love. They eloped as the girl’s parents had opposed the affair. Later, police altered the person missing case into a kidnapping one.