The woman, who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28. (File photo)
Amid growing demand for a CBI probe into the brutal rape and murder of a woman in Ernakulam district, police today claimed that the Special Investigation Team's probe into the incident is going on the right track.
"The investigation is going on the right track. It is positive. I can't say anything specific at this stage as it will affect investigation," Additional Director General of Police K Padmakumar, who is supervising the probe by the SIT, comprising experts from the state police, said.
Kerala Women's Commission chairperson KC Rosakutty, who met the victim's mother at Perumbavoor Taluk hospital today, said they had got "some valuable information" on the culprit from the victim's sister and it would be provided to the SIT.
"We have got some information which will help investigation officers to nab the culprit," Ms Rosakutty told reporters in Perumbavoor.
Her statement came amid local media reports that the probe is centred around a migrant worker, who is also a friend of the victim's sister.
Police have neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
Meanwhile, BJP lawmaker Meenakshi Lekhi, who led a party women leaders' delegation to take stock of the situation, today criticised state police for its initial lapses in the probe.
She urged the state government to hand over the probe to the CBI.
"Why are they not handing over the inquiry to CBI. The victim's mother said she wanted a CBI probe into the incident," she said after meeting the woman's mother at the hospital.
Her demand for a CBI probe into incident came a day after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre is ready to conduct the CBI probe.
Senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers Ananth Kumar and Ravishankar Prasad have also slammed the state police for its alleged lapses in the initial stage of investigation and urged the state government to hand over the case to the CBI.
The woman, who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28.
The shocking incident had its echo in Parliament with members demanding "exemplary punishment" for the culprits, besides triggering widespread protests across Kerala.