According to the senior Police officials, two persons connected to the case had been arrested.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay Saturday ordered a swift and intensive investigation into the abduction and murder of a girl near Sulur in Coimbatore district and said those involved in crimes against women and children would face strict punishment under the law.The girl, reported as 10 years old, had gone missing Thursday evening near her residence in Sulur on the outskirts of Coimbatore city.According to a senior police officer involved in the investigation, two persons connected to the case had been arrested. “One of the arrested men is suspected to have directly committed the crime while the other allegedly assisted him in the process. The main accused had reportedly been living near the victim’s family earlier and had only recently shifted from the locality,” the officer said.Investigators also found that the accused had joined local residents and relatives in the search for the missing girl before police traced their alleged role in the case, the officer added.Both the accused reportedly suffered major fractures during the process of their capture, according to police sources.According to one account, the girl had gone to a local grocery store near her house but failed to return home. Her parents and neighbours searched the locality before approaching the Sulur police station later that night.On inquiry at the grocery store, it emerged that an unidentified young man had allegedly picked up the girl on a two-wheeler, following which the family suspected she had been abducted. Police registered a case and launched a search operation.Story continues below this adOn Friday evening, the Sulur police received information about the body of a young girl lying on the banks of Kannampalayam lake near Sulur. A police team rushed to the spot and identified the body as that of the missing girl.The body was later shifted to Coimbatore Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police are also probing whether the child was subjected to sexual assault.Coimbatore District Superintendent of Police Allatipalli Pavan Kumar Reddy visited the crime scene and ordered officials to expedite the probe. Police formed special teams to trace the perpetrators and analysed CCTV footage from the locality to identify the suspects and the vehicle allegedly used in the abduction.Late Friday night, residents from the girl’s neighbourhood staged a road blockade on Tiruchi Road in front of the Sulur police station, demanding the arrest of those responsible. Traffic on the arterial road was affected for more than an hour before police diverted vehicles through alternative routes.Story continues below this adOn Saturday, Vijay issued a statement describing the incident as “painful and shocking” and said such “inhuman and unforgivable crimes” could never be accepted in society.“Such inhuman and unforgivable criminal acts can never be accepted in our society. I share the grief of the family and relatives of the young girl, who are suffering from the loss of their beloved child,” the Chief Minister said in a post on his official X handle.Vijay said police had been instructed to conduct a “swift and thorough investigation” and to take all necessary steps to file the chargesheet at the earliest.“The Tamil Nadu govt will act firmly to ensure strict punishment for those involved in atrocities against women and children. All immediate and necessary measures will be taken,” Vijay said.Story continues below this adThe investigation was continuing Saturday. Senior police sources said the state government was keen on ensuring that the accused did not secure release before conviction, pointing to the recent fast-track conviction in a similar case involving the attack on a college girl in Coimbatore, where the accused was convicted within two months.Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Coimbatore