CHENNAI: IN a series of curious twists and turns, the advocate, who represented the suspect, P Ramkumar, in Swathi murder case, withdrew himself from the case, while another who met him in prison alleged that the young man had come to Chennai on her bidding.
S P Ramaraj, a 60-year-old former district judge now practising law, met Ramkumar at Puzhal Central Prison for about an hour from 4.30 pm on Wednesday. “According to Ramkumar, it was Swathi who asked him to come to Chennai,” claimed the advocate.
This is contrary to the version put forth by the Chennai city police, who have been maintaining that the two had no direct connection. Police officials said there was no contact between Ramkumar and Swathi, over phone or social media.
Countering another point in the police version, Ramaraj told Express that the person speeding away on a bike as seen in the CCTV footage released by the police was not Ramkumar. The boy, he added, did not know how to ride a bike.
About the cut on his neck, the advocate argued that it looked suspicious as the nature of the wound did not look self-inflicted.
Ramaraj alleged that the police had tortured Ramkumar’s whole family when he was arrested, adding that the family was not permitted to access their home till now. Even the prison authorities refused him permission to meet Ramkumar, and stalled him for an hour before accepting his application, he claimed.
Meanwhile, advocate G Krishnamurthy, who had appeared for Ramkumar before the Principal Sessions Court seeking bail, withdrew from the case after questions were raised whether he was formally chosen by the client. Krishnamurthy made this announcement on his social media account.