One man was arrested for the sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl after hundreds of people, including the child’s family, staged a protest on the Ooty-Cuddalore National Highway earlier on Thursday, January 18. 

Residents of Thalaikundha village in the Nilgiris district where the child is from, gathered on the highway, demanding the arrest of the perpetrator. Station Inspector (SI) Allirani from Pudumand police station confirmed to TNM that a man had been arrested and charged under sections (m) and (l) of the POCSO Act, and sections 376AB (rape of girl under 12 years), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 501 (printing defamatory matter). 

Over 300 people are reported to have taken part in the protests, bringing traffic to a standstill. Traffic from Ooty, Cuddalore and Mysore in particular were affected. Police held peace talks with the protestors and assured them that a proper investigation would be carried out.