Chennai, May 11 (IANS) In a gruesome incident, a 14-year old schoolgirl was set on fire in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district by two men belonging to ruling AIADMK. The girl, who had suffered 95 per cent burns, died on Monday, police said.
With rising furore over the brutal murder, the AIADMK has expelled the two alleged killers from the party.
According to police, Jayashree, daughter of small shop-owner Jayapal, had given a statement to the magistrate naming two persons – G. Murugan and K.Kaliaperumal – as the persons who had set her on fire.
The crime occurred on Sunday at Sirumadurai area near Thiruvennainallur when the girl was alone at her house.
On hearing the girl’s cries and the smoke coming out of her house, neighbours rushed in and were shocked to see her condition. They took the girl to the government hospital where she breathed her last.
Police told IANS that Murugan and Kaliaperumal have been taken into custody and are being questioned.
According to a police official, there had been a previous enmity between the girl’s father and the alleged killers.
Meanwhile, major opposition parties have demanded severe punishment to the killers.
Demanding quick and severe punishment to the two accused, including a former municipal councillor, opposition DMK’s President M.K. Stalin on Monday claimed that the duo tied the hands and legs of Jayashree, stuffed her mouth with a cloth, and set her afire.
The girl was admitted in a government hospital with 95 per cent burn injuries, and in her dying declaration to a magistrate, named the two AIADMK members as the culprits, he added.
According to Stalin, it is the second such crime of burning alive a student by AIADMK members. A bus was set ablaze in Dharmapuri, in which three girl students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University were burnt alive in 2000.
Stalin urged the police to act impartially and ensure the strictest punishment to the culprits.
Similarly, PMK Founder S.Ramadoss said whatever be the previous enmity, the gruesome act of burning alive a school girl cannot be permitted.
Ramadoss, in a tweet, said the killers should be speedily punished in such a way that it remains as a lesson for such killers.
MDMK General Secretary Vaiko too demanded a speedy and severe punishment for the killers.
Meanwhile the ruling AIADMK announced the expulsion of Murugan and Kaliaperumal from the party and dismissal from their party posts.
In a joint statement, AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister K.Palaniswami have also asked other party members not to have any contacts with the two persons.
Palaniswami, condoling the death of Jayashree, announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to her family.
–IANS
vj/vd