KOCHI: In a major breakthrough in the Jisha murder case, the Kerala police have picked up a migrant labourer from Assam, and said he is the prime suspect. It is learnt that Amiyul Islam, 24, was arrested two days ago in Tamil Nadu. He is said to have admitted committing the gruesome murder of the woman in Perumbavoor.
Jisha, a 29 year-old Dalit law student, was murdered on April 28 at her home in Perumbavoor. According to police officers, a detailed inquiry is on to ascertain whether the motive was sexual. An initial probe revealed that Jisha had had links with the man.
The suspect is being grilled by officers led by ADGP B Sandhya at the police camp in Aluva.
According to sources, four of Amiyul Islam’s friends are also in custody. These friends are said to have supplied information on the whereabouts of the suspect to the police. Amiyul fled to Assam after the murder, and was returning to Perumbavoor but was picked up on the way in Tamil Nadu.
Police say that on the day of the murder in April Amiyul Islam went to the house of Jisha to do some construction work. "The DNA samples of the key suspect have been sent for verification to find if they match with the saliva and blood samples found on Jisha's body. After only this will the arrest be recorded, a top official said.
Meanwhile, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the state’s home minister, praised the police for making a key breakthrough in the murder case. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said the arrest proved that the police investigation were on the right track. "As former home minister, I congratulate the police for bringing this case to a conclusion," he said, adding that the arrest also proved that all the accusations made against the previous UDF government were incorrect.