A day after a 45-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped and killed at Rameswaram, the police reportedly seized some of the victim’s ornaments that were allegedly pledged by the six suspects, all migrant workers, at a pawn broker’s shop in the town on Thursday.
The woman’s body was found near a prawn unit late on Tuesday. Villagers resorted to road blockade and burnt tyres on the Rameswaram-Madurai Highway on Wednesday morning, affecting vehicular movement till about 1 p.m. Some youths in the village had assaulted six migrant workers, who they suspected were behind the crime. The police admitted them to the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai. , for treatment.
Based on the alleged confession of the suspects, a police team conducted a search at the pawn shop. It was said they had seized some ornaments belonging to the woman. A police officer said the suspects planned to escape to their native place in Odisha using the money they received by mortgaging the jewels.
‘Evidence’ of rape
Meanwhile, the post-mortem on the victim’s body indicated she had suffered bleeding. There were “evidence” that the woman was raped, a source said. There were strangulation marks around the neck, a reliable source in the GH said, adding that the victim was smothered to death. The body was handed over to her relatives and they buried the mortal remains in Ramanathapuram.
DMK MLA Kadar Batcha, alias Muthuramalingam, gave ₹2 lakh to the family members. He also assured them that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and get assistance from the government.
The relatives of the victim demanded ₹1 crore in compensation and a government job for the victim’s daughter. A senior police officer said the interrogation of investigation with the suspects was likely to be completed in a day or two. They were all brought from the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, after treatment and kept in a location for discreet probe.
