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TN man gets death penalty for raping, murdering minor
25 May 2026

A POCSO court in Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, has sentenced a convict, Dharma Muneeswaran, to death by hanging for sexually assaulting and murdering a 17-year-old girl.

The victim was a Class 12 student from Vilathikulam who was reported missing in March this year. Her body was later discovered in a scrubland near her home.

Breakthrough came from windmill camera
Crime scene

The investigation into the case was challenging as there were no CCTV cameras near the crime scene.

However, 10 special teams managed to analyze 98 CCTV footages from other locations and examined 2,574 phone numbers using the tower dump method.

A breakthrough came when a windmill camera captured a suspicious two-wheeler near the crime scene with a tampered registration number. The bike was later found to be stolen.

Special prosecutor praises court, police
Case resolution

Special Public Prosecutor Ellammal of the Mahila Court in Thoothukudi praised the dedication of everyone involved in the case.

She said, We were able to get a fair judgment in a short period of time because everybody who worked on this case was very responsible.

The court's decision came 77 days after the crime and with no CCTV footage from the scene.

Vijay expediting trials in sexual offenses against children
Government response

On the same day as the court's verdict, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay urged police and authorities to expedite trials in sexual offenses against children.

He stressed obtaining stringent punishments through proper trial processes.

The CM had made women's safety and law and order key campaign issues during his election campaign.

His meeting comes amid rising sexual offenses in the state, including another case of assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore.