Overview
- Police on March 19 arrested Dharma Muneeswaran, 37/38, in the killing of a 17-year-old student whose body was found near her village on March 11.
- The post-mortem confirmed sexual assault and fatal injuries, and the case has been registered under relevant provisions including POCSO.
- Investigators say windmill CCTV footage and a motorcycle stolen from Parthibanur provided key leads, with multiple special teams analyzing call records and questioning hundreds of people.
- The accused is described by police as a history-sheeter with many pending cases and a prior rape-murder conviction, and he was reportedly out on conditional bail.
- Accounts differ on the arrest circumstances as police detail special-team tracking while another report says he was detained when marking court attendance; the Madurai Bench directed the Vilathikulam DSP to lead the probe, sought an April 2 update, and two officers were suspended after public protests over the initial response.