Jisha murder accused sent to police custody

Kochi: A court Tuesday remanded the prime accused in the sensational rape and murder case of a Dalit woman at nearby Perumbavoor to ten days police custody.

The move comes a day after the accused was subjected to an identification parade.

Passing orders on an application moved by police, Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Perumbavoor sent accused Ameerul Islam to police custody till 4.30 PM on June 30.

When the court asked 23-year old Islam, a migrant worker from Assasm arrested on June 16 in connection with the murder, whether he wanted to say anything, he said he wished to go to his village.

The police moved the custody application a day after the test identification parade of the migrant labourer, held in the presence of a magistrate at Kakkanad sub-jail.

A woman witness in the case, who had given statement to the police earlier claiming that she had seen a man walk out of the residence of the victim on April 28, was brought to the jail for identifying the accused.

After the arrest, Islam was remanded to 14 days judicial custody and lodged in Kakkanad sub-jail.

While announcing the arrest, a top police official had declined to produce him before the media as they wanted to build a strong case against him.

"We will collect more evidence, including identification parade, to build a strong prosecution," Additional Director General of Police, B Sandhya, heading the Special Investigation Team in the case, had said.

The accused was arrested on the charge of killing the law student, 50 days after the gruesome incident, that had become a major issue in the recent Kerala Assembly elections.

The 27-year-woman who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house on April 28.