A 10-year-old girl who had gone out to buy groceries near her home in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore was allegedly abducted and killed, sending shockwaves across the state and triggering protests outside a police station in Sulur. Police said the girl had been missing since Thursday evening. Her body was later found near Kannampalayam lake in the Sulur area on Friday with injuries. Two accused — identified as Karthik and Mohan Raj — have been arrested in connection with the case. The incident led to angry protests by the girl’s parents, relatives and members of the public outside the Sulur police station, with many demanding immediate justice. What happened to the 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore? According to police, the child had stepped out to buy groceries near her house in Sulur when she was allegedly abducted. Hours later, she was found dead near Kannampalayam lake. A relative of the victim, Senthil Kumar, told ANI that the family initially believed the girl was only missing before learning about her death later on Friday evening. “We don't know what could have happened,” Kumar told ANI. “First, they said the girl was missing, but later they said she was found dead on the lake shore.” He added that hundreds of students and local residents later staged a roadblock protest demanding justice for the child.Why did the family refuse to take the body from the mortuary? The case intensified after members of the victim’s family reportedly refused to take the body from the mortuary until they received a statement from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay. A family member told ANI that they had voted for change and expected assurance from the new government after the incident. “We will not take the body until we get any statement from the chief minister,” she told ANI. The statement quickly drew attention online as public anger over the incident continued to grow.Coimbatore 10 year old girl murder case: What did Chief Minister Joseph Vijay say? Reacting to the incident, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay said such crimes would not be tolerated. “The horrific incident that occurred yesterday to a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore causes immense grief and shock,” Vijay posted on X. “Such inhuman and unforgivable criminal acts can never be tolerated in our society,” he added.— CMOTamilnadu (@CMOTamilnadu) Tamil Nadu DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore also rushed to Coimbatore to review the investigation into the case.Why has the Coimbatore case turned political? The incident soon turned into a political flashpoint, with opposition party DMK attacking the newly formed TVK government over the state’s law and order situation. Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged in a social media post that more than 30 major crime-related incidents had made headlines within 12 days of the new government taking office. He said incidents involving sexual violence, ganja smuggling, rowdyism and the Coimbatore child murder had raised serious concerns about public safety in the state. Udhayanidhi Stalin also demanded swift punishment for those responsible for the girl’s abduction and murder.