The Chennai police is yet to file its charge sheet in the case relating to the murder of software engineer S. Swathi. As per legal procedure, the police should file their final report on completion of investigation even if the accused is dead.
“It is not clear why the prosecution has not filed the charge sheet in the case even after the lone suspect Ramkumar died. They should have filed the charge sheet within 90 days since the arrest of the suspect. The police have not provided us the report of post-mortem conducted on the body of Ramkumar,” said P. Ramaraj, advocate to Ramkumar’s father. On June 24, 2016, Swathi was hacked to death by a young man in Nungambakkam railway station. Police apprehended the suspect, P. Ramkumar, in Tirunelveli district. After nearly 82 days, prison officials said Ramkumar committed suicide by “pulling and biting a live-wire” inside the Puzhal Central Prison on September 18.
As per the Criminal Procedure Code, in offences against a person, including cases of murder, there should not be any delay and difficulty in completing the investigation and filing the charge sheet before the expiry of the remand period.
Sources in the Department of Prosecution said: “The process of filing the charge sheet is on. Soon, it will be filed before the court.”
However, the investigating officer was not reachable for his comment.