The Peroorkada police, which have been perusing footage from neighbourhood surveillance cameras to crack the murder of an employee at a private nursery in Ambalamukku, secured clear leads regarding a few people who were present in the area when the crime had taken place on Monday.
Having created a sense of insecurity among urbanites, the daylight crime that took place amid stringent police vigil during lock down-like curbs on Sunday is increasingly viewed as a case of planned murder.
The victim, Vineetha of Nedumangad, had been found murdered by a colleague at Tabs Green Tech Agri Clinic in Ambala Nagar around 2 p.m. on Sunday.
According to Peroorkada Inspector station house officer V. Sajikumar, the assailant had not stolen cash amounting to ₹25,000 that the Vineetha had kept in her purse. An amount of nearly ₹50,000 was also found to be safe within a drawer on the premises. However, a gold necklace that weighed 4.5 sovereigns that the victim wore has gone missing, the officer said.
Five stab wounds
The autopsy found nearly five stab wounds on her neck that are suspected to have been made using a short sharp object. Both the post-mortem examination as well as the forensic evidence gathered from the scene of crime suggested the possibility of a struggle.
On inspecting footage from CCTVs located on access points to the locality, the investigation team spotted the movement of a few people around 11.30 a.m. Efforts are under way to identify them and locate their whereabouts. Vineetha’s call detail record is also being examined in a bid to find a common link.
The victim, who had been hired nearly 10 months ago, reported for duty in order to water the plants in the nursery. While there are three employees at the facility, each one of them took turns on Sundays to manage the nursery.
Meanwhile, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil who represented the Nedumangad Assembly constituency has extended support for Vineetha’s family.
