KOCHI: The police investigating the Nellikuzhi murder case, in which a 24-year-old house surgeon was shot dead by her stalker, suspect that the accused had planned the murder. Officers said that not only did Rakhil stay near the Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences, Kothamangalam, where the deceased Manasa studied, he had also kept a close watch on her movements.
“It was nearly a month ago that Rakhil had rented a room near the college. Though he was an interior designer, he introduced himself to the landlord as a wood trader. He also befriended one of Manasa’s collegemates to keep a tab on Manasa’s movements. Since Manasa and her parents didn’t want to continue the relationship with Rakhil, he might have harboured a personal grudge against her. If the circumstantial evidence were to be believed, Rakhil was plotting the murder for more than a month.
However, it is too early to arrive at a conclusion on the basis of circumstantial evidence, “said an officer requesting anonymity. The parents of Manasa had complained to the Kannur DYSP against Rakhil for troubling their daughter. “ The duo met on Instagram nearly a year ago. However, their parents didn’t want to proceed with it. Manasa too rejected his proposal. But it was difficult for Rakhil to come to terms with the reality. This might have resulted in the tragedy, “said the officer. It is also learnt that the officers who conducted the CDR(call data record)- based investigation found that Rakhil and Manasa had been in touch recently.
Mystery behind the pistol
Giving credence to the theory that the murder was planned, the four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), which reached Rakhil’s house at Kannur on Saturday, found that Rakhil had recently visited Bihar and the murder weapon could have been procured from there.
“We don’t have any hard evidence to prove that he got the pistol from Bihar. But the information we collected from his close circle proves that he recently visited Bihar. Since there are gangs there which supply these types of guns, chances are high that he brought it from Bihar. This also indicates that he had hatched the plot over a month ago. We are waiting for the report from the ballistic experts to get more information on the gun, “ said the officer.
The police also suspect the involvement of other people in the crime as it is difficult for a person to arrange for a gun. “We are awaiting the CDR report to get a clear picture of the people whom he was in touch with these days,” the officer said.