Cherankottai (Tamil Nadu): A 21-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly stabbing a Class 12 student to death in broad daylight while she was on her way to school in Cherankottai near the island town, police said.
According to investigators, the man, identified as Muniyaraj, had been stalking the teenager for several days and repeatedly pressuring her to accept his romantic advances. The girl consistently refused, prompting her father, Mariyappan — a fisherman — to confront the youth and warn him to stay away from her.
Police believe the rejection and the family’s warning enraged the accused, who then decided to attack her. On Wednesday morning, as the teenager was walking to school, he allegedly confronted her on a public road and stabbed her multiple times with a knife.
The victim collapsed on the spot and died before medical help could arrive, a preliminary inquiry revealed. Shocked passersby immediately alerted the police, leading officers from the Port police station to rush to the scene and recover the body.
The girl’s remains were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination, and a case of murder has been registered.
After the attack, the accused fled but was soon traced by a special police team and taken into custody for interrogation. Officials said appropriate sections of the Indian Penal Code have been invoked, and further investigation is underway.
