Two in custody for rape, murder of Dalit woman

Two persons have been taken into custody in connection with the rape and brutal murder of a 30-year-old Dalit woman at Perumbavoor that sparked protest marches by students and rights activists across Kerala on Tuesaday condemning the incident.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy described the crime as ‘shocking’ and said the culprits will be brought to book. Police said two persons were taken into custody and were being questioned by a police team, headed by Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav. However, it was not yet known whether they are the real culprits. No details of the ongoing investigation have been revealed by police.

According to police, the woman, a law college student, hailing from a poor family was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. She was found dead in a pool of blood at her one room home at 8 PM on April 28 by her mother when she returned from work.

The crime has been dubbed ‘Kerala’s Nirbhaya’ for its chilling similarities to the gang-rape in 2012 of a young Delhi student on a moving bus. The girl later succumbed to her injuries.

Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Tribes registered a suo motu case into the incident and asked police to submit a report on the progress of the probe by May 28 while the Kerala Human Rights Commission ordered that the probe be handed over to the Crime branch.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case on the basis of media reports, state Human Rights Commission Chairman Justice J B Koshy issued a direction to the state DGP in this regard.

“Kerala is shocked by the brutal murder of a young woman. The culprits will be brought to book and the severest punishment will be ensured to those who involved into the incident,” Chandy said. 

Condemning the crime as a ‘heinous one’, chairman of the state commission for scheduled castes and tribes, Justice PN Vijayakumar said he has sought formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident.

Meanwhile, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed deep “shock and pain” over the brutal rape and murder of a law student in Kerala and promised “swift action” to bring the guilty to book.

“Deeply saddened & pained to learn of the brutal rape and murder of a law student in Perumbavoor, Kerala,” he said in a series of tweets.