Chennai, June 15:
A three-year-old girl died on Monday following an alleged assault by a 19-year-old man in Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district, police said.
The accused, a migrant worker from Bihar, was apprehended by local residents soon after the incident and later handed over to the police, who have taken him into custody.
According to police sources, the child’s parents are employed at a steel company in the SIPCOT industrial estate in Gummidipoondi. The accused was also working at the same facility and resided in the same locality.
On Sunday evening, the child was playing near her house when the accused allegedly took her away on the pretext of buying snacks. He is suspected to have taken her to a secluded area, where the incident occurred.
An onlooker raised an alarm, alerting nearby residents. The accused reportedly attempted to flee but was chased and caught by the public before being handed over to authorities.
The child was immediately rescued and taken to a nearby government hospital before being shifted to Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai for further treatment. However, she succumbed early Monday morning.
Police have registered a case and further investigation is in progress