VELLORE: THE Pulianthope police on Friday morning discovered the partially-decomposed body of a 31-year-old woman along the foothills of Netteri hillock, 1.5 kilometres from Gudiyatham Railway Station in Vellore, ten days after she was allegedly murdered by a 25-year-old man from Gudiyatham.
On April 15, the victim, a divorcee from Pulianthope in Chennai, was reported missing by her parents, who said she had taken a train to Vellore a day before, under the pretext of going to borrow books from a friend. The police registered a case, traced her mobile phone signal, which led them to Hemaraj (25), whom the victim had contacted last.
During the investigation, it came to light that the two had known each other since 2021 and were in a relationship. The victim reportedly met him at the Gudiyatham Railway Station on April 14. Sources said that she insisted Hemaraj on getting married, which could have caused a rift.
Around 12.30 am on Friday, the Pulianthope police, along with the suspect, searched the foothills, where he had allegedly stabbed the woman to death, and discovered the victim’s corpse in a partially-decayed state. The police retrieved her bag, identity card, and a knife that was used as the murder weapon. The case was then transferred to the Gudiyatham police station and the body was sent to the Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital in Adukkamparai for autopsy. Only after the autopsy results, the police said, they could conclude whether the victim was sexually assaulted or not. An FIR has been registered under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.
During the investigation, it was found that the suspect was charged under the Goondas Act in 2022 for attempting to snatch a chain from a woman on a moving train in Katpadi, pushing her onto the railway track. He was jailed for ten months and the case is on trial at the Mahila Court in Vellore.