A 37-year-old rowdy has been arrested in the brutal murder of a Plus‑2 girl near Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi district, after police extracted a chilling confession linking him directly to the crime.
The victim, a Plus‑2 student from Vedanatham village, near Vilathikulam, was found dead in a forest stretch close to Kallukkulam. Initial investigation by the Sulai police moved slowly, with no clear leads emerging in the first few days.
However, the case took a major turn when a local mobile phone photograph of a motorcycle with a Ramnad‑series number plate, taken near the forest area, became the key breakthrough clue..
The man arrested is Dharmamuniswaran (37), a resident of Saiyapuram in the Thoothukudi belt. Police records show that he already faces 32 criminal cases, including theft and necklace snatchings. He was earlier sentenced to 30 years rigorous imprisonment in a 2020 rape‑cum‑murder case involving an elderly woman from Ettayapuram, but was out on bail when the student murder took place.
During interrogation, Dharmamuniswaran admitted that on the day of the incident he was hiding in the forest area, lying in wait for women going to fieldwork.
According to the police, he stated that when the girl walked past, he raped her, and when she began shouting, he panicked that someone might arrive. He then killed her by pressing his foot on her neck and garrotting her with a dupatta.
He further claimed he remained hidden in the forest that night, and the next morning escaped on a motorcycle to Thoothukudi.
The arrest became possible after a local resident, Solaiappan, had earlier taken a photo of a motorcycle with a Ramnad‑series number plate near the scene. Initially unaware of its importance, he later shared it with investigators.
Police traced the number to Dharmamuniswaran’s two‑wheeler, and subsequent checks led to his arrest.
According to the Tirunelveli range DIG’s observations, Dharmamuniswaran was seen moving around the Kallukkulam forest area on the 7th, 8th and 9th of the month, apparently scouting for targets.
Officials also say that after the murder, he asked associates about “what happened” in the area over the next two days, and later went to Kulathur police station to sign his bail–cum‑surety papers in an old case, maintaining a low‑profile appearance.
After preliminary interrogation, Dharmamuniswaran was produced before the Thoothukudi POCSO special court, which granted 14‑day police custody. He was first lodged in Pattukkottai jail and then shifted to Madurai Central Prison for security reasons.
Police say that, at this stage, Dharmamuniswaran appears to be the sole accused, but they are preparing to seek further custody and file an extended charge sheet as the investigation continues.