THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ending the five-day-long manhunt, the police on Friday arrested a serial killer from Tamil Nadu for allegedly murdering a 38-year-old woman near Ambalamukku here on Sunday. Rajesh, aka Rajendran, 49, of Thovala in Kanyakumari district was arrested from Kavalkinaru in Tirunelveli district by a special police team. City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar said the suspect was an accused in four murder cases and his name featured in the goonda list of Tamil Nadu police.
Rajesh was accused of murdering a Customs officer and his wife in Aralvaimozhi police station limits and was also involved two other murder cases registered in Kanyakumari police station. All murders were committed during robbery attempts, the police said. He had a slew of other serious criminal cases registered against him in various stations such as Ambathur, Thoothukudi and Tirupur as well and being a hardcore criminal, he always carried a knife with him to commit heinous crimes at the drop of the hat.
The commissioner said Vineetha Mol was murdered for robbing her gold chain which weighed four sovereigns. The suspect has been working as a cook in a hotel near Peroorkada for the past one month. He picked Vineetha as his victim randomly after spotting her watering the plants at the nursery near Ambala Nagar at Ambalamukku.
Vineetha was seen wearing a golden chain, which lured Rajesh to commit the crime. After ensuring that she was alone in the shop, Rajesh went inside pretending to be a customer and attacked her. Vineetha was stabbed in the neck during the melee. Rajesh also sustained an injury on his arm during the confrontation, said police.