Meenakshi Sundaram, a 60-year-old army veteran, was arrested by the police on June 28, for allegedly raping and murdering his 4-year-old neighbor in Thirumullaivoyal, Chennai.
Sundaram will be facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, officials said that further investigation in the case will be done.
The arrest comes after one of the 4-year-old girl’s earring and broken bangles were found inside his house, officials believe that the army veteran took the minor inside his house when she was alone.
The girl went missing on Thursday afternoon when her father left for work and when her mother went to drop her brother at a coaching center that is located near their house. When the mother returned back, she could not find her daughter and called her husband in a panic, the couple then went to the police station to file a missing complaint about their daughter.
The police searched the Thirumullaivoyal area and found the 4-year-old girl’s body in a gunny bag.
The neighbors of the army veteran said that they saw the 4-year-old girl with him but did not expect that he would be raping and murdering her.
A number of the residents in the Thirumullaivoyal area are currently demanding the army veteran to be hanged to death.
The dead body of the girl was brought to the Kilpauk Government Hospital for an autopsy.
Officials are yet to reveal more information about the case and the investigation.