Tirunelveli: Ram Kumar, accused in the software engineer S Swathi murder case who was secured by the police near Shengottai in Tirunelveli, was remanded to judicial custody with a transit order by the Tirunelveli JM-1 court magistrate, to be produced before the 14th Chennai metropolitan magistrate court.
The 24-year-old accused, though secured on Friday midnight at his residence in Meenakshipuram near Shengottai by the Shengottai police in the sensational murder case, however, was shown to have been legally arrested after 38 hours on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm.
The delay was caused by the accused, who unexpectedly attempted suicide by cutting his throat with a blade fearing arrest by the police and got admitted for treatment at Tirunelveli medical college hospital (TVMCH) here.
Having undergone a surgery in his throat and kept under medical observation at the post-surgery care unit, the police could not proceed with the legal procedure on Saturday. However as his health condition improved so as to cooperate with the police to proceed with the legal formalities, Ram Kumar was formally arrested by the Nungambakkam police, who are investigating the Swathi murder, on Sunday.
As the accused was under treatment, Tirunelveli JM-1 court magistrate, Ramadoss came to the hospital at around 2 pm on Sunday, recorded his statement and remanded him to judicial custody with a transit order as asked by the Nungambakkam police.
The magistrate ordered the police to produce the Swathi murder accused before the 14th Chennai metropolitan magistrate court within 24 hours.
Having obtained a transit remand for Ram Kumar, the special police team headed by Nungambakkam assistant commissioner of police, Devarajan along with the Nungambakkam inspector and investigation officer in the
Swathi murder case, Chidambara Barathi, left Tirunelveli medical college hospital with the accused for Chennai at around 4.20 pm. The accused, being taken in a well-equipped ambulance, was accompanied by a three-member doctors team headed by the ENT surgeon, Dr Suresh Kumar of TVMCH.
