ADGP B Sandhya takes over Jisha probe, advises patience

Kochi: ADGP B Sandhya on Friday formally assumed charge as the new investigating officer of the Perumbavoor rape and murder case even as she hinted that there would not be any immediate breakthrough in the case.

“The probe needs some time (to reach a conclusive phase). You must be patient. We won't be able to part with critical information during the early stages of investigation," she told reporters at Aluva. However, the officer refused to comment anything about the previous investigation team.

The new eight-member team takes charge over a month after the Dalit law student was murdered at her house on April 28. Sandhya held over a two-hour long separate meeting with the new and old investigation teams at the Aluva guesthouse to learn about the intricacies of the case and the progress so far.

The officer then went straight to the victim's house in Perumbavoor. She inspected the house and collected statements from three women witnesses who had earlier said that they had seen a man crossing the canal near the victim's house on the fateful day.

Sandhya then dropped in at the Perumbavur Taluk Hospital to record the statement of the victim's mother and sister. Meanwhile, the victim's father Paappu said he suspects involvement of certain neighbours in the case and that his younger daughter faced eve-teasing on many times. "She was my hope. She had told me that she would get a new job in two months and then I can stop selling lotteries,” he rued.