Perumbavoor murder probe handed over to new officer

K.M. Jijimon, Dy.SP, Ernakulam District Crime Branch, will coordinate the investigation

A week after the brutal rape and murder of a 29-year-old Dalit woman in Perumbavoor, the probe into the case has been handed over to a new investigation officer.

K.M. Jijimon, Deputy Superintendent of District Crime Branch, will coordinate the investigation into the case by various police teams. He replaces Anilkumar, the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Perumbavoor, who was leading the investigation till Wednesday.

“Mr. Anilkumar is being relieved of his additional charge as he has to take care of the law and order situation in the region, which has witnessed several VIP visits and protest marches over the past four days. Besides, he is also the Election Commission-notified officer and is responsible for executing election-related duties in the region,” K. Padmakumar, Additional Director General of Police, told The Hindu .

The new officer on Thursday inspected the crime scene once again and collected details of the case.

300 persons questioned

The police have so far interrogated about 300 persons and are verifying the details collected from them. “We have got so many clues, which are being verified by the investigators. The investigation team has been split into eight groups, each responsible for covering specific areas and angles,” the officer added.

Reiterating his earlier stand that it was not a gang rape, Mr. Padmakumar said the police were waiting for the results of the scientific examinations of the samples collected from the victim’s body.

“It is a perfectly planned brutal murder. The evidence received so far suggest that it was carried out by a single person,” he said.

12 suspects in custody

Meanwhile, official sources said about 12 suspects were under police custody.

The sleuths have reportedly zeroed in on four persons, including a migrant worker settled in the area and a person living in the victim’s neighbourhood.

The investigation team is likely to approach the Kuruppampady Judicial First Class Magistrate Court with a request to conduct a forensic examination of the construction tools and a pair of footware recovered from the crime scene.