Representative image: Vinod ASIt has been a fortnight since dalit law student Jisha's Nirbhaya-like rape-murder came to the fore.
14 days! And we still have no clue on as to who's behind the heinous act and what prompted the culprits to stoop to such brutal ways to wipe-out a hapless woman living in a ramshackle house. Though hundreds of people have been questioned in connection with the case, the police have not even zeroed in on the culprits, let alone arrest him/her/them.
Yes, they were mass protests and of course Facebook activism seeking #JusticeForJisha. But none joined hands for protests as massive as the Nirbhaya case, which saw candlelight vigils and demonstrations across the country, forcing the UPA-II government to rise from its slumber.
Kerala's Nirbhaya - What happened on April 28?
Jisha, a 30-year-old law student in Ernakulam, was alone at her one-room house in Perumbavoor as her mother, a daily wager, had gone out for work. Around Thursday afternoon, she was heard shouting at someone from the house. Police suspect that the crime happened between 2.00 pm and 5.00 on Thursday. However, it was only after her mother returned from work around 8.30 pm, that the murder was known to the world.
What the young women voters have to say about Jisha murder
Inhuman crime!
The shocking details of the crime have been of the worst order, surpassing the other known recent attacks on women in Kerala.
According to the autopsy report, intestines of the deceased had come out in the attack with a sharp object. There were 30 wounds on the victim's body, including two deep stab wounds on chest. Jisha was bitten on her back by the assailant and the post-mortem on Jisha's body showed that the deep bite marks belonged to a person who had a significant gap between his upper incisors.
More than 100 people questioned, no arrests
About 100 people have been questioned by the police in connection with the rape and murder of Jisha at Kuruppampadi. The police picked up these people because their phones were within the limit of the mobile phone tower near Jisha’s house. One person was taken into custody as he could not explain the bruises on his body. The police suspect that the footwear found near Jisha’s house belonged to him. One of Jisha’s relatives and a youngster who trained dance with Jisha are also in custody.
Two migrant labourers were detained, but no arrests have been made yet.
From fingerprints to teeth, 'novel' ways of investigation?
File photo of a woman lighting a candle during a vigil held for seeking justice for the December 16 gang-rape victim. PTIThe police, in a 'novel' way of investigation, are feeding the media with elementary clues regarding Jisha's murderer on a daily basis.
First, it was informed that fingerprints of neighbours were being collected for comparing with Aadhaar cards. But this did not work out because permission was not granted from the regional centre of UID in Bangalore.
Now, they are planning to examine the teeth of those who were questioned and let off earlier. The teeth of all migrants in the region would also be examined.
Info to feed media?
Ever since the crime triggered a public outrage, media is constantly being fed titbits of information on the suspect, the probable motive and so on. Police first released the sketch of the suspect and were on the lookout for him. But soon after another sketch was made, which has not been made public.
These abstract information that are being made available in plenty has done little to help the case with only various media houses turning it into eye-grabing news stories. Was this action aimed at keeping the media happy, thereby ensuring the public outrage doesn't get overblown?
The number of clues and information is in no way adding up to give a conclusive answer. We have the clues, suspect sketch; but no action happening on the ground!
Probe officer changed
Chief investigating officer DySP Anil Kumar was removed and a new official, A.B. Jijimon, was appointed to head the probe team. Was this a departmental move to ensure quick action or just petty politics to calm down the people?
Leaders make a beeline to offer condolences
From Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy, opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan to newly nominated Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi, all rushed to the Taluk hospital in Perumbavoor, where Jisha's mother, who is yet to overcome the trauma of losing her daughter is admitted.
But how can this distraught mother take solace in their kind words, if her daughter's killers are not reprimanded for their cruel actions?
The never-ending horror from New Delhi to Kerala
The chilling similarities between the Perumbavoor murder and Delhi gang-rape is a bad reminder on the shadow of attack that looms over every girl/woman in this country. The December 16 victim, called Nirbhaya by the media, was beaten up, violated and tortured barbarically by six men inside a moving bus in south Delhi. A fortnight later, she lost her battle to life in a hospital in Singapore.
Both the women were brutally raped, with sharp objects inserted into their bodies. While Nirbhaya suffered serious injuries to her internal organs including genitals; Jisha's intestines had come out in the attack.
Why #JusticeForJisha is not Nirbhaya
Nirbhaya's fate had triggered a national outrage with people taking out candle light vigils and mass protests.
But the initial outrage over Jisha's fate is slowly draining out, with both people and political parties slowly returning their focus back to Kerala Assembly elections that are just round the corner. Is the probe taking a back seat to VVIP duty as lawmakers are running from pillar to post to reach out to maximum voters before election.
Shouldn't the state ministers be after the police chiefs seeking urgent action? Isn't it the constitutional duty of our police personnel to bring to the fore the culprits and prevent such criminal acts from happening in the future?
But even 14 days later, we are just left with these questions with no answers in the near sight.
[Tweet us your reactions on #Kerala's #Nirbhaya by tagging us @OnmanoramaLive]
