Lawyers ‘cast’ themselves in Swathi murder case

The case has now been taken over by a group of advocates from the Progressive Advocates Association of Tamil Nadu (PAAT). Earlier, there was a bout of high drama with an advocate independently moving a bail plea on behalf of Ramkumar and subsequently withdrawing it. Now, a group led by former Magistrate and advocate S P Ramaraj of PAAT claims that the case has been taken up by the association not because Ramkumar is a Dalit but because an innocent person has been made a scapegoat, and that there is much more to this murder than what meets the eye.

Ramaraj, who met Ramkumar at the Puzhal prison, told DT Next that though Ramkumar was reluctant to speak owing to police presence, he had indicated his innocence to him. The advocate also claimed that with his throat slit he was not in a position to speak, and could not have offered any confession before the Magistrate. 

However, he said they were not in a hurry to seek bail for Ramkumar since it would be a tough task safeguarding him outside the prison. Decrying the plan to hold an identification parade, Ramaraj said, “It would not make sense since his photograph has been shared widely on all media. Witnesses would have a preconceived idea during the identification process. Moreover, even the Commissioner of Police has stamped him as the murderer while for now he is only a suspect.” 

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking to register an FIR against actors’ YG Mahendran and SV Sekar, who had allegedly mentioned the name of the killer as belonging to another religion in a social media post.

The Nungambakkam police will conduct the identification parade for the Swathi murder accused Ramkumar at Puzhal prison on Tuesday. The eye witnesses who have deposed before the police will be taken to the prison complex on Tuesday and the parade would be carried out in the presence of Egmore judicial magistrate. Police sources said the dressing on the neck of Ramkumar has been removed as he has recovered fully from his self-inflicted injury. Remand prisoners would be made to stand along with Ramkumar in the parade. 

Police sources said more information cannot be divulged as it would adversely affect the identification parade. It remains to be seen if the identification parade would be a strong evidence for the police as Ramkumar’s picture had been flashed across the media even before his arrest. Police had to release the photograph from the CCTV grab to gather public information on the accused.