The Malavalli police informed on Thursday that a 51-year-old tuition teacher has been arrested for allegedly raping and murdering a 10-year-old minor girl in the Mandya district of Karnataka.The accused has been identified as Kantaraju and he has been working at the tuition centre for 15 years where the victim used to study.The police said, “While the victim was returning from her tuition, the accused gave her chocolate. He took the victim to a deserted area and then raped her, and killed her. After killing her, he threw the dead body into the sump of the under-construction building next to Mysuru Road in Malavalli.”A special team from Malavalli Police Station started the investigation into the case after the girl’s parents registered a complaint of their daughter being missing.The police also got the information that the girl’s body was lying in the sump of the construction site. After that, a police team headed by Additional Superintendent visited the spot and conducted an inspection.During the course of the investigation, they got suspicious of accused Kantaraju and arrested him. During the interrogation, he accepted the heinous crime committed by him.JDS youth leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy demanded that the state government should immediately take appropriate legal action against the accused.The JDS leader said, “The brutal murder of a 10-year-old school girl who had come for tuition in Malavalli is a heinous incident that makes the civil society bow its head. A criminal who commits a mistake should be severely punished and the culprit should not be pardoned.”Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said, “It is shocking to know that a girl named Divya who was going to tuition in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district was taken and raped and murdered. Such incidents are a shame for the human race. No matter what punishment is given to the sinners who commit such vile deeds.”Earlier, Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah also shared a statement on the issue and demanded strict action on the matter.
