Gokulraj murder case: Petition against prime eyewitness Swathi for changing statements

NAMAKKAL: CB-CID officials filed a petition against Swathi, a prime eyewitness in a Gokulraj murder case, for allegedly giving different statements before them and the Principal District Judge (PDJ) in Namakkal, on Monday. The next hearing is scheduled for October 22.  

A 23-year-old engineering graduate, Gokulraj, was found murdered near Pallipalayam in Namakkal on June 24, 2015. The Tiruchengode police apprehended 17 persons, including Dheeran Chinnamalai Gounder Peravai founder Yuvaraj, his brother Thangadurai, car driver Arun, and Jothimani.  While Yuvaraj and Arun were detained in Tiruchy and Coimbatore prison, respectively, Jothimani was murdered by her husband. In this situation, the police started examining eyewitnesses on August 30. Gokulraj’s mother Chitra, Pallipalayam railway station master Kailash Chand Meena and others were cross-examined by Yuvraj’s prosecutors. Following this, a hearing took place before PDJ H Ilavalakan on Monday.

According to government lawyer P Karunanidhi, during the last hearing, Swathi denied the statement she had given before PDJ Ilavalakan. Moreover, she also claimed ignorance of the murder. “When we showed the CCTV footage to her in the court room, she said that she did not know the person captured in the video. Though she recognised Arun from the prison’s identification parade, she denied to have known him during the hearing,” the lawyer added.