Steephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network – Kasaragod
Kasaragod, May 17: In a shocking development in a 15-year-old murder case, the Crime Branch police have arrested the accused who had allegedly killed a student and disposed of her body in a river.
The arrest pertains to the 2010 murder of 17-year-old M C Reshma, a resident of Ennappara in Rajapur. The accused, identified as Biju Paulose from Panathur, was arrested by the investigative team from Madikeri.
Reshma, who was attending training at the T.T.C. Centre in Kanhangad, went missing on June 6, 2010. Her family had filed a missing complaint with the Ambalathara police station.
Despite initial investigations by the police, no leads emerged. Consquently, the family approached the High Court with a habeas corpus petition. Taking note of the plea, the High Court ordered that the case be transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation.
During questioning by the Crime Branch, the accused Biju Paulose reportedly confessed to killing Reshma and dumping her body in a river. Following his confession, a search was conducted in the river, but the body could not be recovered.
However, some skeletal remains recovered from the river were subjected to DNA testing, which confirmed they belonged to Reshma. Based on this scientific evidence, the accused was taken into custody.
According to police sources, the accused has also confessed to sexually assaulting the minor before the murder. He was working in Madikeri at the time of his arrest, and the Crime Branch apprehended him from his place of employment.
The Crime Branch reported that crucial information came to light during the interrogation, supported by forensic and scientific evidence.
The initial investigation by the Ambalathara police was deemed unsatisfactory due to lack of evidence, which led to the case being handed over to the Crime Branch.
The investigation was in danger of going cold, but persistent efforts by the victim's family and Dalit organisations who approached the High Court ensured the case remained active, ultimately leading to the breakthrough.
The accused had also taken the victim to rented quarters in places like Madiyan and Vadakara Mukkool, where he is believed to have stayed and from where the police gathered further information.