In a day of fast developments, the Tamil Nadu Government transferred the investigation of Friday's gruesome murder of 24-year-old S Swathi to Chennai City Police from the Government Railway Police following a dressing down of the Government by the Madras High Court over the way the case was being handled.
Swathi, a software engineer, was murdered on Friday morning by an unidentified youth while she was waiting for a suburban train at Nungambakkm Railway Station in front of several people and the Railway Police probing the case has not made any breakthrough till now.
Monday morning saw a division bench of the Madras High Court consisting of Justices S Nagamuthu and V Bharatidasan summoning public prosecutor Shanmugavelayudham and asking him for clarification about the progress of investigation into the murder case amidst reports that the City Police and the Railway Police were at loggerheads.
The judges told the Public Prosecutor that they were concerned over the failure of the police to make any breakthrough even after three days of the murder which shocked the entire nation. “We only express our concern. Justice must be ensured to the family. From media reports it appeared that there was rift between railway and city police,” said the justices.
Chennai City Police Commissioner T K Rajendran has been quoted by a local daily as stating that railway stations were out of jurisdiction of the city police to which the Court took strong objection to. The Judges asked the public prosecutor to furnish all steps taken to probe the case by 3 pm.
later in the day the public prosecutor informed the court that the investigation has been entrusted to a special team of Chennai City Police led by KPS Devaraj, an assistant commissioner. The court was also told that the probe would be monitored by deputy commissioner of police, Triplicane. The cyber crime department and the Crime Branch-CID too will assist the investigation.”We will be watching the progress of the probe for a couple of days. If we feel there is slackness, we will make suo motu proceedings after getting concurrence from the chief justice,” the justices told the public prosecutor.
The Court also came down strongly on the way Swathy's body was handled by the Police and the railway authorities. “For more than two hours Swathy's body was left lying without even being covered. Even a dead person has got right to dignity under the Constitution. Even after death the girl's dignity cannot be denied,” the judges observed.
Elsewhere in Chennai, all major opposition parties expressed their apprehension over the safety and security of the citizens following Friday's murder of Swathi. M K Stalin, leader of the DMK, who is also the leader of Opposition called on the bereaved family and consoled her parents. “I am so shocked over the gruesome murder of the young girl. It is sad to note that such incidents are happening in Tamil Nadu, which has been described as a Garden of Peace by the Chief Minister. Though the Government had announced a 13-point programme for the safety and security of women, it is doubtful whether it is being followed anywhere in the State,” said Stalin.
who described Chennai as a city of murders and murderers. T K Rangarajan MP and CPI(M) leader said there was no value for human life in Tamil Nadu as evident from the murder of Swathi.