The city police now suspect that Swathi’s assailant struck at her with the aruval from behind rather than from the front, which rules out any conversation or altercation between them, as was earlier believed.
Speaking about this, police sources said, The nature of the injury on the jaw and lack of blood on the suspect’s shirt as seen in the CCTV footage led to the revised conclusion on the direction of attack. The GRP has given us some leads we are working on that and also collecting new evidence. The police are digging out footage from the locality to check if the suspect had stalked her on earlier occasions, instead of just on the day of the incident. We suspect that the accused came through the main entrance. After committing the crime, he scaled the walls and escaped through Sowrashtra Nagar 7th Cross Street and then the 8th Street. The case will now be investigated by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nungambakkam, K.P.S. Devaraj and his team.
Retired policemen say that old fashioned methods must be sued to solve the case since there was no CCTV footage. A retired sub inspector said, Going back to the drawing board, and relying on traditional means of investigation and physical evidence would prove useful in this case. If the motive is ascertained, then the clues will easily lead to the culprit. For this, the parents and relatives have to cooperate. Besides, earlier, the police relied on human intelligence and had informants across the city to tip them off.
Experts and criminologists say, Forensic experts should have collected evidence from the scene of crime. Any criminal will leave behind some proof and one has to look for it very carefully. Call records will also give some leads. Moreover, he said the intensity of the attack also showed his frame of mind. He seemed to be enraged. The weapon is also something that is not commonly used by gangs. The police have to arrive at the motive behind the attack and connect everything.
A police officer says, We are also trying to find out about places where such types of aruval, which was recovered from the scene of crime, are used. Plainclothes policemen have been deployed across the city to nab the suspect. His picture has been sent to all the stations. We have also collected digital and physical traces left behind by the suspect.