Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has said several questions arise over the police claim of having arrested the accused in the rape and murder of a Class 12 school student in Vedanatham village, Vilathikulam, Thoothukudi district.
In a statement, he noted that the crime occurred over 10 days ago and alleged that the police did not make an arrest despite sustained public protests demanding swift action. He said the police have now announced the arrest of a man named Dharma Muneeswaran from Sayalkudi.
Annamalai pointed to a previous case in which a 65-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and murdered near Ettayapuram in Thoothukudi. He said the same person was arrested in 2022 in that case and was awarded life imprisonment in August 2024, adding that reports now suggest the case has been stayed in the Supreme Court and bail granted.
He alleged that the earlier case was handled in a lax manner and questioned why the police did not keep close watch on a person with multiple cases after he was out on bail. He also questioned why it took 10 days to analyse CCTV footage if it was the basis for identifying the accused.
Stating that the public deserves clarity, Annamalai urged Chief Minister M K Stalin, who holds responsibility for the police department, to explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest and the investigation timeline.
