KOCHI: Substantiating the reports that 18-year-old CA student Mishel Shaji Varghese had committed suicide, the police on Thursday collected CCTV visuals showing the victim proceeding to the Goshree bridge in the city.
Mishel was found dead in the Kochi backwaters under mysterious circumstances on March 5. In the CCTV footage, collected from two apartment complexes near the High Court, she is seen heading for the bridge around 7 pm. Inspection of footage from another camera near St Antony’s Church, Kaloor, revealed Mishel had left the church around 6.20 pm.
Due to the poor resolution of the visuals, the police had to identify Mishel from her dress.
Earlier, Vypeen-native Amal Wilfred told the police he had spotted a ‘girl’ near the Goshree bridge-II around 7 pm on March 5.
According to the Police, Cronin Alexander Baby, who was arrested in connection with the girl’s death, used to persuade her to enter into a relationship with him. He had called Mishel several times on the day she died.
Meanwhile, Mishel’s family continues to reject the police claim that she committed suicide, owing to mental trauma from her troubled relationship with Cronin.
On Thursday, a Crime Branch team led by DySP K A Sasidharan collected the statements of Mishel’s relatives, including her mother Sailamma. In the evening, a team led by Crime Branch IG S Sreejith conducted evidence collection near the Goshree bridge. “The investigation team will look into all aspects of the case, including the alleged lapse on the part of the police in acting promptly,” said the IG.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Maradu, on Thursday sent Cronin to police custody until March 24. Crime Branch officers said evidence collection would be conducted in Chattisgarh, where the accused used to work. The deceased, a native of Piravom, was found dead in the Kochi backwaters near the Ernakulam Wharf around 8.45 pm on March 5.