THOOTHUKUDI: In a breakthrough in the sensational Thoothukudi district schoolgirl murder case, police have arrested a 37-year-old man, 10 days after the body of a Class 12 student was found near Kulathur.
The accused, Dharma Muneeswaran alias Maaveeran of Sayalkudi in Ramanathapuram district, was traced using CCTV footage and arrested on Wednesday night, police said.
The victim, a 17-year-old student from Vedanatham near Kulathur in Vilathikulam, went missing on March 10. Her body was recovered from a forest area near the village the next evening, triggering protests by villagers and political groups demanding swift action.
Police formed 10 special teams to track the suspect. During the investigation, a motorcycle found near the crime scene led to a breakthrough. The vehicle was identified as a stolen bike from Parthibanur in Ramanathapuram district. CCTV footage from windmill areas showed the accused riding the motorcycle, helping police identify and track him.
Investigators said the accused has a prior criminal record. He was convicted in a 2020 case involving the murder of a 65-year-old woman following robbery and sexual assault in Keezh Eeral. A Thoothukudi Mahila court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2024.
He was granted bail by the High Court on December 18, 2024, and had been signing before the Mahila court since December 24, as per court directions.
Further investigation into the schoolgirl murder case is underway.