Kerala Police have launched a manhunt for a migrant labourer in connection with the brutal rape and murder of Jisha, a law student, at Permbavoor in Ernakulam district of Central Kerala.
The suspect, who has been absconding since the incident, is said to be a friend of Jisha's sister Deepa. Raids are being conducted at the camps of non-Keralalite labourers in Perumbavoor and nearby places. According to local people, the suspect also resembles the sketch prepared by the police.
Local media report that the suspect is said to be a ganja peddler and has also connection with sex rackets. According to them, he used to visit Deepa's house frequently.
Jisha, an LLB student, who hailed from a poor family, was allegedly subjected to rape and brutal assault using sharp edged weapons before being murdered at her house in Perumbavoor on April 28. There were 38 wounds on her body, according to the autopsy report.
The crime has been dubbed "Kerala's Nirbhaya" for its chilling similarities to the 2012 gangrape of a young paramedic student in a moving bus in Delhi.
Ten days on, Police are yet to make any major breakthrough in the probe. The non-corporation from Jisha's neighbours and the lack of clarity in the murderer's objectives are cited as the reasons for the slow pace of the probe.
