The death of a 14-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu has been ascertained as an act of vengeance that was carried out by the two ADMK functionaries, reports say.

According to the Villupuram police department, the duo had tied up the hands of teenage girl Jayashree, poured petrol on her, and set her on fire. The shocking incident has occurred in the Sirumadurai colony near Thiruvennainallur in Villupuram district on Sunday morning. The reports stated that Murugan, who is one of the two assailants had developed the enmity with Jayashree's father Jayapal, who runs two petty shops in the village. 

Last Saturday, during the night hours, some of the people had come to the petty shop to buy beedis - a type of cheap cigarette. However, Jayapal's son Jayaraj (16) has denied providing the beedis, by opening the shop again amid tight restrictions in the locality as part of the lockdown, following which the group assaulted him. After having been attacked, Jayaraj went to the police station along with his father Jayapal to file a complaint against the people who assaulted him. 

After hearing that the father and son duo had gone to the police station to lodge the complaint, the assailants showed their vengeance to Jayapal's daughter Jayashree who was alone in their home. The assailants Murugan and Kaliyaperumal tied her hands, poured petrol, and set her on fire. They also had closed the house leaving the teenage girl with no access to get help. 

The young girl screamed and the neighbors had seen smoke coming out of the house after which they broke the house where they witnessed the heartbreaking incident of the teenage girl struggling for help and survival. The girl was rushed to the Villupuram government hospital by ambulance. Jayashree had sustained over 95% of burn injuries and amid the treatment, she confesses her dying declaration to the judicial magistrate which was video-recorded.

In her confession, Jayashree named Murugan and Kaliaperumal as responsible for this heinous act. Some of the hospital staff had taken the video and circulated on various platforms in which the girl can be heard asking for some water. However, she has died on Monday morning and her death had erupted the heatwaves across the state as more voices were heard demanding justice for the teenage girl. The deceased girl was studying tenth grade.

The police department has launched the investigation and arrested Murugan and Kaliyaperumal. The investigation said that it was the act of vengeance. The assailants have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including murder, punishment for wrongful restraint, and punishment for wrongful confinement.

The duo was the ADMK functionaries. Murugan is the husband of former ADMK councilor of the area while Kaliyaperumal was the party's local representative. Upon getting arrested, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ADMK's joint co-ordinator Edappadi Palaniswami said that two men have been expelled from the party. The Chief Minister also announced Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family as compensation. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had taken the case in suo moto and instructed the Villupuram Collector to conduct a fair investigation on the case and to submit the reports to the commission in seven days. Both the assailants have been remanded under judicial custody for 15 days.

Also read: The row of setting a TN girl on fire: Two ADMK members removed from the party -EPS!