The Crime Branch officials probing the alleged suicide of a 26-year-old woman in Perumpetty two years ago found that she had been murdered by a stranger. A 39-year-old person, identified as Nazeer, of Kottangal, has been arrested in this connection.
The woman, who was living with a widower, his two-year-old child, and his father was found hanging from the ceiling in her bedroom on December 15, 2019. The incident occurred when all members of the family were away from the house.
The police said Nazeer, a wood merchant, came to the house as part of his business and upon learning that the woman was alone in the house, tried to assault her sexually. As the woman resisted his moves, the accused banged her head against a cot in the bedroom. The woman, who fell unconscious, was raped and later hanged from the ceiling using a white dhothi.
53 wounds
An autopsy revealed that the woman had sustained 53 wounds. The blood samples of her partner and his father were also collected for scientific examination, though to no avail. The case was handed over to the District Crime Branch in February 2020. In a follow-up investigation, the officers confirmed rape and physical torture of the victim. In the absence of eyewitnesses, the officers focussed on the three men spotted near the crime scene on the day of the incident and interrogated them.
DNA samples
A experiment using a dummy was also conducted in the crime scene. The police camped at different locations for months, shadowing the suspects. Finally, the DNA samples collected from the victim’s nail matched with those of the accused, leading to his arrest.
Deputy Superintendent of Police R. Prathapan Nair led the investigation under the monitoring of District Police Chief R. Nishathini
