DHARMAPURI: Police on Wednesday arrested a 19-yearold youth for raping and murdering a six-year-old boy in a village near Krishnapuram in Dharmapuri district on July 16.After the boy’s parents filed a complaint that he was missing, police had launched asearch and zeroed in on M Prakash of the same village as a suspect.

They picked him up and during interrogation he broke down and confessed, police said.

Prakash led them to an unused overhead water tank in the village where he had hidden the boy’s body.District superintendent of police Stephen Jesubatham said Prakash had befriended the boy and often bought him chocolates and ice creams.On July 16, Prakash took the boy to the water tank and sexually assaulted him.

When the boy started crying for help, Prakash panicked and strangled him, Jesubatham said.“The accused tied theboy’s arms and legs, and dumped the body in the tank,” Jesubatham said.As the news spread, friends and relatives of the boy’s family blocked the road in the town demanding stringent action against the murderer.

The crowd dispersed after Jesubatham promised there would be no leniency.Police registered a case against Prakash and arrested him.Alocal court sent Prakash to judicial custody and he was lodged at the Salem central prison.