3-year-old, lured with biscuit, dies after sexual assault by migrant worker in Tamil Nadu; DMK slams CM Vijay

AThree-year-old fille reportedly died after she was lured with a biscuit and sexually assaulted in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvallur territorial dominion on lord's day, allegedly by a migrator worker from Bihar, who has at present been arrested in the case.The investigation has revealed that only one person was involved in the incident. Police told news agency ANI that both the accused and the child were originally from Bihar.3-year-old girl sexually assaulted, diesThe girl was reportedly found in a bushy area with severe injuries on Sunday. She was taken to hospital, where she died during treatment on Monday.Police said the child knew the accused. He allegedly lured her by offering a biscuit, took her away and sexually assaulted her, NDTV reported.The accused was reportedly caught by local residents before being handed over to the police. Following the incident, some other individuals were also attacked by locals who suspected they might have been involved.Police, however, rejected allegations that multiple people were involved in the crime. They said that the investigation had found only one accused.Notably, the child's family, originally from Bihar, had been living in the SIPCOT industrial area under the Gummidipoondi subdivision in Tiruvallur district.Police first registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. However, after the child's death, murder charges are also expected to be added, the report said.Political row erupts, DMK targets CM VijayA political controversy erupted over the incident as the opposition leaders targeted Tamil Nadu chief minister and ruling TVK party chief C Joseph Vijay over law and order, especially days after he announced the launch of the "Singappen Special Force", a dedicated women's safety unit aimed to improve protection for women and girls.In a statement posted on X, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Tamil Nadu assembly and DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin said he was shocked by the incident and accused Vijay of using “children as tools to illegally solicit votes during the election campaign” and then “failing to ensure their safety”.He wrote, “I was shocked to learn that a 3-year-old child died after being sexually assaulted and dumped in the bushes near Gummidipoondi. The police must identify the actual perpetrators of this crime and ensure they receive severe punishment.” “Across Tamil Nadu, law and order is collapsing to the point where it is effectively on life support. Even though the government has been in power for over a month, the Chief Minister does not appear to be taking any decisive action to restore law and order,” Stalin added.He said that if such crimes continue, "the DMK will not hesitate to mobilise the public and take to the streets in protest, with the permission of our leader."Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami also criticised the government, describing it as a “sham” and urging it to “focus on actually maintaining law and order.” He wrote on X, “Where is the safety for women in Tamil Nadu? What exactly is the police force doing? Where has the ‘Singappen’ special force gone? How many more women and young girls must lose their safety, and their lives, while waiting for your six-month ‘trial period’ to end?”Former BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai said the incident has “caused profound shock and grief” and hit out at “involvement of individuals from North Indian states in crimes” taking place across parts of Tamil Nadu. He also urged the government to “take immediate action” on the matter.With inputs from agencies