Villagers protest in Kilinochchi over death of 17-year-old girl

Residents of Uruthirapuram in Kilinochchi staged a protest on Thursday (08) demanding the immediate arrest of a man allegedly linked to the death of a 17-year-old girl from the village.

The protesters marched to the Kilinochchi District Secretariat, where they held a demonstration and handed over a petition to the Additional District Secretary.

Villagers said the girl, identified as Sashidaran Samarshi, had been subjected to harassment by a young man living in a neighbouring house.

They alleged that he had shown her obscene images and made inappropriate proposals to her. After she rejected him, the man allegedly threatened to misuse her photographs and circulate manipulated images among her friends unless she complied with his demands.

The girl later died by suicide.

Residents said she had referred to the suspect in a letter written before her death, but alleged that police had still not arrested him.

The protest was organised to demand that the suspect be taken into custody and prosecuted, and that justice be ensured for the girl’s family.