The special investigation squad probing the murder of a young dental student and the subsequent alleged suicide by the accused at Nellikuzhi near Kothamangalam last month, has arrested two persons from Bihar on charge of abetting the crime.
The arrested are Sonu Kumar, 20, a resident of Parsando village in Munger district, and Maneesh Kumar, 23, of Buxar district.
“Sonu Kumar was the one who provided the country-made pistol with which the crime was committed, while Maneesh Kumar was the intermediary between the accused and Sonu Kumar. We are collecting further evidence and completing formalities to bring them down here on transit warrant,” said K. Karthik, District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural).
The pistol was reportedly purchased at ₹35,000, which was paid in cash. The accused was also given training in using the firearm, it is learnt.
The arrests were made following a two-day joint operation by the special squad and the Bihar Police. Though the accused resisted the arrest, they were overpowered. “We will inquire about the accused in detail,” said Mr. Karthik.
A ballistic examination of the firearm had found it to be a 7.62-mm country-made pistol.
The five-member team led by two Sub Inspectors was sent to Bihar a day after the incident after it emerged that the weapon used by the accused was secured from there. The team continues to stay back in Bihar and further probe the case, while Mr. Karthik is coordinating it with the police chiefs of multiple districts.
The 24-year-old BDS student from Kannur, doing her house surgency at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Nellikuzhi, was allegedly shot down by the accused, identified as Rakhil, 32, of Melur in Kannur, at a house in the neighbourhood of the campus where the victim was staying as paying guest on July 29. In a statement given to the police, a friend of the assailant from Kannur said he had accompanied Rakhil to Bihar to procure the pistol where they reportedly stayed for over 10 days.
Both the victim and the assailant were reportedly known to each other after meeting over Instagram a year ago. The trip to Bihar had probably taken place just days after Rakhil had assured the Kannur police last month not to stalk the girl. He was summoned by the police on a petition filed by the girl and her family.
