PUDUKKOTTAI: A 17-year-old has been arrested for sexually harassing and murdering a 9-year-old-boy near Karambakudi in Pudukkottai. The 17-year-old has been arrested under Pocso and four other sections. As the accused is a minor, he was lodged in a home for juveniles in conflict with the law on Monday morning. The deceased, a Class IV student from Karukkakurichi village had gone out to play with his friends on Saturday evening and did not return. During the search, his father, Balaji, and local residents found the 9-year-old boy dead under suspicious circumstances near a pond, about 100 metres from his house, late on Saturday night. He had injury marks on his neck and face and was found without his trousers. Police were alerted, and a team led by Alangudi DSP Manoharan arrived at the spot to investigate with the help of a sniffer dog. However, no immediate clues were found. On Sunday morning, police inquired with the children who had been playing with the 9-year-old boy. They told investigators that a 17-year-old boy, who is from the same area had taken the nine-year-old away shortly before he went missing. Based on this information, police picked the 17-year-old, for questioning. “During the course of the investigation, the boy confessed that he had tried to make sexual advances towards the 9-year-old. When the child resisted and tried to escape, he strangled him with a cloth and murdered him,” a police source said. A case which was initially registered by the Vadakadu police for suspicious death had been now altered with Pocso and relevant sections for murder.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)