26/05/2026
Police Officers' Laughter Before Briefing on Girl's Rape-Murder Sparks Outrage
The Class 4 student from Pallapalayam vanished on May 21, 2026, and her body was found the next day in a Coimbatore tank after a sexual assault confirmed by postmortem. Police arrested neighbor K. Karthi, who confessed, and his associate R. Mohanraj within 24 hours amid local protests. A clip from the May 25 press conference showing Inspector General R.V. Ramya Bharati and others smiling drew sharp criticism for insensitivity, though defenders said it captured an unrelated chat before the formal start; Chief Minister Vijay condemned the crime and ordered a fast-track probe.