New clues could help crack Swathi murder case

Eyewitnesses had confirmed the identity of the suspect, say police

June 30, 2016 12:00 am | Updated December 04, 2021 10:56 pm IST - CHENNAI:

An enhanced image of the suspect fleeing from Nungambakkam Railway Station released by the investigating team. Photo: Special Arrangement

An enhanced image of the suspect fleeing from Nungambakkam Railway Station released by the investigating team. Photo: Special Arrangement

After groping in the dark without any leads, the Chennai city police seem to be making some headway in the Swathi murder case.

Quoting an eyewitness, a senior officer investigating the case said the suspect neither had any conversation nor argument with the victim. He apparently came with the sole motive of murder. However, the information that there was no conversation or argument did not mean that the suspect was a stranger to Swathi.

“Going by the CCTV footage recorded outside the station, the suspect enters the premises at 6.31 a.m. and is seen walking out at 6.42 a.m. He spent just 11 minutes, which includes the time he took to walk to and from the crime scene to the surveillance camera location. Maybe, he spent barely two or three minutes waiting for the victim and attacking her...,” the officer said.

Parrying questions on fingerprints on the weapon, he said the ‘aruval’ had a wooden grip and had been sent to forensic experts.

Confirming that the suspect shown on the CCTV footage was the one who committed the murder, the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said eyewitnesses had confirmed the identity of the suspect.

On Thursday, the investigating team released an enhanced image of the suspect leaving the crime spot. The photo is being enhanced further by a team in Hyderabad, according to sources.

Suspect seen stalking victim

Investigators are also perusing some inputs that came in on Wednesday. While a caller informed that he saw the suspect in the same train that Swathi took on a couple of occasions, a fresh CCTV clip has reportedly emerged in which a person resembling the suspect was seen stalking the victim at one of the suburban railway stations.

Though surveillance cameras are installed at the Chennai Beach, Chennai Egmore, Mambalam and Tambaram stations, it is suspected that the visuals might have been recorded either in Tambaram or Mambalam, the sources said.

(With inputs from Vivek Narayanan)

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