The police team investigating the murder of a woman employee of a private nursery at Ambalamukku has been unable to recover the weapon used for the crime.
Investigators embarked on a search mission on the basis of information provided by the accused Rajendran on Monday. However, the police now suspect the possibility of having been deceived by him.
A scuba diving team of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services was engaged for the operation in a pond at Muttada where Rajendran claimed to have abandoned the knife and shirt he wore while committing the crime on February 5.
While the murder weapon was not found, the divers retrieved a shirt. However, the accused claimed it was not his.
Meanwhile, an attempt by the police to collect evidence from the crime spot led to tense scenes when scores of local residents attempted to manhandle the accused as he was escorted by the police. This led to a minor clash between the public and the police that required the latter to move Rajendran to safety.
The accused is under police custody for the collection of evidence required to strengthen the prosecution case..
