COIMBATORE: The rural police announced a reward for anyone providing information about the suspects in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl near Coimbatore on Tuesday.The little girl, who went missing on Monday evening, was found murdered near her house on Tuesday morning. The autopsy report said she was raped before she was strangled to death.The rural police announced a reward for any information about the suspects in the case. Police distributed handbills in many places that said that those who provided any information regarding the case would be rewarded and the identity of the person would be kept confidential. The announcement of the reward indicated that the rural police were clueless about the culprits behind the brutal act.The family members of the girl, who was studying in class I, refused to receive the body after the autopsy at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Tuesday afternoon.The girl’s mother told the police that she suspected her neighbour, a goods autorickshaw driver, to be behind the rape and murder. But Thudiyalur police said when they questioned the man, he said he had been drinking with friends and playing cricket. Police also verified the tower location details of Vijayakumar’s mobile phone. “We could not find any evidence of his involvement in the murder,” police sources said. On Wednesday evening, the family members received the body from CMCH.Meanwhile, the police picked up five more people, including the girl’s grandfather, for questioning. “We suspect some people. But we want evidence to prove their involvement in the rape and murder,” said a senior police officer.

Stay updated with all the Chennai Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.