Unfit for post: Smiling Tamil Nadu cops during girl's murder presser spark outrage

Videos of senior Tamil Nadu police officers smiling during a press conference on the murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore have sparked massive outrage online, with critics accusing the administration of insensitivity and demanding accountability.

In Short

• Keerthana said she would answer only administrative questions after official meeting
• BJP's Vinoj Selvam alleged her demeanour trivialised the child's horrific murder
• The minister said her smile came only after the interaction ended

Two back-to-back controversies over the Tamil Nadu government’s handling of the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore’s Sulur have put newly elected Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on the back foot.

First, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana came under fire from the BJP earlier in the day after she was seen smiling when asked about the case. However, the controversy did not end there. Soon after, another video surfaced showing senior police officials smiling during a joint press conference on the murder of the 10-year-old girl.

While Keerthana clarified that her smile came only after the media interaction had ended, the police officials are yet to respond to the criticism over their conduct, which has triggered outrage on social media.

In the video, RV Ramya Bharathi, Inspector General of Police, West Zone, is seen smiling and rubbing her fingers alongside Coimbatore Range DIG P Saminathan and Coimbatore SP Allatipalli Pavan Kumar Reddy during the joint press conference.

While one user wondered, “Why is she laughing throughout unnecessarily? Take action against such officers. They don’t know how to behave during serious situations,” another wrote, “A 10-year-old was abducted, assaulted, and murdered -- and instead of showing basic sensitivity, these officers looked more interested in cracking jokes at a press conference. Absolute disgrace.”

“She is unfit for the post!!” another user commented, while someone else wrote in disgust, “As a civil society, we have failed miserably!!”

“Shame on the police department because our Tamil Nadu Police is the best department in the world, but today we fail because of such officers. We sincerely request action, sir,” another user wrote.

One user wrote, “Blame this ecosystem. These are the reasons why justice is always delayed,” while another commented, “She can laugh because she doesn’t care and feels protected enough.”

One user, however, claimed that working in a high-stress profession may have led to the officials becoming “emotionally numb” due to their “repeated exposure to trauma.”

Earlier in the day, BJP slammed Keerthana over her response to questions on the sexual assault and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore, accusing her of showing "extreme insensitivity" during an interaction with reporters. The criticism came amid public anger over the case and a wider political row in the state.

The controversy began after Keerthana, while speaking to journalists after an official meeting, declined to answer questions on the case and said she would respond only to "administrative questions". The BJP alleged that she appeared to be smiling during the exchange and said her conduct was inappropriate given the nature of the crime.

BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam said the episode pointed to a "questionable" law and order situation in Tamil Nadu and accused the minister of making light of a horrific incident. "We have a woman minister who was all smiles when asked about this tragic murder of a 10-year-old child. She said she would only take questions on administrative matters and laughed it off," Selvam alleged.

He also objected to the minister later saying on social media that she smiles naturally, and described that response as insensitive to the people of Tamil Nadu.

Replying to the criticism, Keerthana said her expression was being "deliberately twisted for political motives" and maintained that the smile came only after the media interaction had ended, and was not linked to any question or incident. "When I naturally smiled at the moment the Q&A session concluded after meeting journalists following the industry-related introductory meeting, it was not a reaction to any particular question or incident," she said in a post on X.

Describing the crime as "heinous", the minister said it had caused "immense pain" and said the government had moved quickly after the case came to light. She said Chief Minister Joseph Vijay had immediately ordered action, after which five special teams were formed and more than 250 CCTV recordings were examined. According to her statement, the accused were arrested within 24 hours.

Keerthana said the Tamil Nadu government would press for strict legal action against the arrested accused, Karthi and Mohanraj, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. "Justice for a child and the safety of women and children remain the top priority of this government," she said.

She also criticised what she called "baseless criticisms, personal attacks and unnecessary trolling". She said criticism from the opposition was part of democracy, but added that "distorting facts and turning someone's personal moments into political weapons is not a healthy approach for society".

The exchange took place against the backdrop of outrage over the killing of the 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore. Police said the child had been playing outside her house within the limits of Sulur Police Station when she went missing at around 5 pm on May 21. A complaint was filed later that evening and a case was registered.

During the search, officials formed five special teams, checked CCTV footage and used technical surveillance. Police later identified the main accused as 33-year-old K Karthi, a native of Nagapattinam district and an acquaintance of the victim's family, who allegedly lured the child away. He was later arrested from a hideout in an apartment complex. Another accused was arrested on charges of criminal conspiracy.

Chief Minister Vijay termed the incident "horrific" and said such "inhuman and unforgivable criminal acts" would not be tolerated. He said those involved would face strict punishment under the law. Several opposition leaders, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, Edappadi K Palaniswami, TTV Dhinakaran and Anbumani Ramadoss, also condemned the crime and sought stringent action against the accused. The case has since triggered both political confrontation and renewed focus on the government's response.

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