Man from Bengal arrested for raping Tamil Nadu minor identified: Cops

The man, arrested in West Bengal on Friday in connection with the alleged kidnap and rape of a 10-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district, has been identified as Rajiv.

“Based on our initial investigation, we have arrested a suspect whose identity matches that of the accused. The investigation is being carried out under the supervision of the Thiruvallur SP with the involvement of six DSPs. There has been a positive development, and we will share more details in due course," said Asra Garg, North Zone DIG.

"While the identity appears to match, we cannot disclose further information at this stage as it may hinder the investigation. The accused claims to be from Assam, though we are verifying this. We have also received information suggesting he may be from Andhra Pradesh, and efforts are underway to determine when he arrived in Tamil Nadu. Further updates will be provided after completing the due process,” he added.

The accused was arrested after nearly two weeks of the alleged kidnap and rape of a 10-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district.

The incident occurred on July 12 in Arambakkam, when the child was on her way to her grandmother’s house. Police teams are now working to obtain confirmation of his identity from the survivor, either in person or via digital means.

According to sources, the suspect was working at a roadside dhaba in Sulurpet and had travelled by train before committing the crime. India Today TV, which visited the crime spot, reported that the man had been loitering near the back entrance of a mango farm, where he waited for the girl. The path between two mango farms, lined with tall trees, dry leaves, and known to have snakes, was where the child had been walking alone when the suspect began to follow her.

CCTV footage from the vicinity captured the girl walking on the road before being approached by the man, who then covered her mouth and abducted her.

Prior to the abduction, the suspect had reportedly displayed suspicious behaviour towards a woman who was waiting for a relative to pick her up. Once inside the mango farm, he allegedly beat the child several times, bit her, and raped her. Despite being assaulted repeatedly, the child made several attempts to escape.

During the assault, the suspect received phone calls, with the ringtone reportedly sounding like a Hindi song. Taking advantage of the distraction, the survivor managed to flee.

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