Coimbatore: While the Thudiyalur all-woman police are taking credit for cracking the rape and murder case of the minor girl at Kasthurinaickenpudur near Pannimadai within six days after arresting the victim’s neighbour Santhoshkumar, a section of police officers says it will be difficult to prove it in a court of law.According to the investigation team, after killing the girl on March 25 between 6pm and 7pm in his grandmother’s house, Santhoshkumar had dumped the body in a small room. The officers also suspect that he might have killed his 70-year-old grandmother, who might have witnessed the crime.“As many as 20 people were gathered in the two-room thatched house after the grandmother passed away around 9pm. They must have entered the house. It is difficult to believe that no one noticed the body,” says police officer.After the victim’s mother raised suspicion, police had picked up Vijayakumar, a neighbour, on March 26. “But he denied all the charges. Santhoshkumar was picked up for interrogation later in the night. He did not open his mouth till Saturday night. Suddenly, after four days, he confessed to the crime. The court may find it hard to believe,” says another officer.Police had approached several villagers to find out the owner of the T-shirt found on the body. “None of them could recognise it,” the officer says.Meanwhile, Santhoshkumar relatives accused the police of framing him in the case. “After the demise of his grandmother, he was with us. Police failed to arrest the real perpetrator and is making him a scapegoat,” says his father Kanagaraj, who works as a car driver in a private educational institution.

Stay updated with all the Coimbatore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.