A 21-year-old man in Rameswaram stabbed a Class 12 girl to death in broad daylight after she repeatedly rejected his love proposal. The girl was attacked on her way to school and died on the spot. Police arrested the accused soon after the incident.
A Class 12 schoolgirl was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, in a brutal attack that has shocked the State and triggered strong political reactions. Police said a 21-year-old man, who lived in the same locality, allegedly killed the teenager because she had repeatedly rejected his love proposal. The incident happened while the girl was walking to school in Rameswaram. Police have arrested the accused, identified as Muniyaraj and have begun questioning him. Political parties, including the PMK, AIADMK and BJP, criticised the ruling DMK, accusing the government of failing to protect women and students.
How the attack happened
The 17-year-old victim lived with her family in Cherankottai near the island town. According to police, the accused had been allegedly stalking her for days and pressuring her to accept his romantic interest. The girl refused several times, and her family had reportedly warned him to stop troubling her. The girl’s father, Mariyappan, a fisherman, had confronted the youth recently over his harassment. Local reports say he firmly told the accused to stay away from his daughter. Police said this warning appears to have angered the 21-year-old. On Wednesday morning, when the girl left home for school, the accused allegedly followed her. Officers said he confronted her on a public road and then stabbed her several times with a knife. The attack was so sudden and serious that she collapsed on the spot. A preliminary inquiry revealed that the girl died from her injuries before she could receive any medical help.
Police response and arrest
Passersby who saw the violent attack immediately alerted the police. Personnel from the Port Police Station reached the spot quickly and recovered the girl’s body. Officers sent the body to a government hospital for a post-mortem examination. A case of murder has been registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said. After the attack, the accused tried to flee the area, but a special police team tracked him down and arrested him. He has been taken into custody and further investigation is under way. Police officials said they are also checking whether the accused had planned the attack in advance, and if he had a history of troubling girls in the area.
Strong political reactions
The killing led to sharp criticism from several political parties, who accused the DMK government of failing to maintain law and order. AIADMK attacks the government AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed shock and questioned how a schoolgirl could be murdered on her way to school in broad daylight. “Who is responsible for a situation where even a girl student going to school in the morning is not safe? Where did the accused get the audacity to murder a school girl in broad daylight?” he wrote. He said such incidents reflect a “complete erosion of law and order on women’s safety under the Stalin-model DMK regime” and demanded that the accused receive the maximum punishment allowed by law.
PMK demands stronger safety measures
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss also criticised the DMK government. He said his party had repeatedly urged the government to provide police protection near schools, bus stops and public areas where students and young women face harassment. “DMK did not heed the demand of the PMK and this has led to the brutal murder of an innocent student in Rameswaram. DMK government should take responsibility for this,” he said in a statement. He demanded the death penalty for the accused and called for ₹25 lakh compensation for the victim’s family.
BJP expresses anger over rising ,crimes, against women
BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Nainar Nagenthran said crimes against women have not reduced under the current government. “For the past 4.5 years, the BJP has been spearheading numerous protests and demonstrations to strengthen women’s safety,” he said. He offered his condolences to the family and said parents now feel unsafe even with heavy police deployment in public places. “The National Democratic Alliance will deliver swift and decisive justice to end this reign of terror by the DMK,” he wrote.
The murder has left residents of the area deeply disturbed. Many have demanded stronger policing, especially near schools. Police presence has been increased in the region to prevent tensions. Officials said the investigation will continue until all aspects of the case are clear. The accused remains in custody.
(With inputs from agencies)