No one can easily forget that Friday morning. A young girl’s life came to a tragic end on June 24, 2016, while she was waiting for a train at Nungambakkam railway station. People used to recognise Swathy by the smile on her face – but that day, a sharp weapon destroyed that beautiful smile. But the sharp weapon destroyed the beautiful smile which was on her face. She was engulfed in blood and for those who saw what had happened to her through the media, they were shocked by the incident.
“The attack on Swathy has devastated the hearts of the Indian people,” said a famous Tamil News website Vikatan.com and on June 24th, 2017 we remember the horrific incident, a year after it happened.
Let’s now look at the short flashback and see what has happened, from Swathi’s murder to Ram Kumar’s death.
June – 24, 2016
Swathy was murdered at the Nungambakkam railway station in the morning.After the incident, a rumor spreads through social media, that it was Bilal Malik who killed Swathy. Then actor Y.G. Mahendran expresses his views on the matter and it creates confusion.
June – 27
The case was shifted from the railway department to the police department. After this, under A.C.Devaraj’s command, eight special units were formed to hunt down the murderer.
June – 28
The Chennai High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu state government to install CCTV cameras in all important places, including railway stations.
June – 28
The police department releases the video of the accused walking near the railway station.During the police investigation, it was found that at 6.40 in the morning Swathy’s cell phone was switched off and at 8.40 it was switched on. Later again her cell phone was switched off. Both the actions were done in the vicinity of Choolaimedu cell phone tower and therefore around two lakh calls that were made through the cell phone tower were carefully examined. The police department sensed that the murderer was living in Choolaimedu and therefore they searched all houses and mansions in the area. In Sowrashtra Nagar, Second Street a person named Ganesan came to the police station with a blood stained shirt and he handed it over to them. He said his roommate Ram Kumar looked similar to the person in the video the police department released earlier and the shirt belonged to Ram Kumar he further added.
July – 1
At 10.30 P.M the police arrested Ram Kumar in a place called Meenatchipuram near Thenkasi. During the arrest Ram Kumar slit his own throat with a blade and tried to kill himself said the police department and admitted him in the Thenkasi government hospital. He was later shifted to Palayamkottai government hospital.
July – 3
After his treatment, Ramkumar was taken to Chennai Royapettah government hospital and a lawyer named Ramraj took up the case on behalf of Ram Kumar.
July – 5
Ram Kumar was summoned by Gopinath, the court magistrate and he ordered Ram Kumar to be placed under the courts custody for 15 days. After this Ram Kumar was sent to Puzhal Jail.
July – 7
Along with Swathy’s blood sample, blood samples of the blood on the knife and on the shirt were also sent to Hyderabad by the police department for DNA test.
July – 12
Swathy’s father, Bilal Malik, the mansion manager and the shop keeper near the railway station identified Ram Kumar.
July – 13
The police department requested the court to grant them permission to take Ram Kumar under their custody for five days and they were finally granted permission for three days. It was during this time Ram Kumar was taken to the Nungambakkam railway station and there he was asked to enact the whole murder incident, and the same was videographed by the police.
August – 8
The court granted permission to the police department to have Ram Kumar under their custody again for one more day.
September – 18
‘At Puzhal prison in an effort to kill himself, Ram Kumar bit on an electric wire. He died on the way, while he was being taken to the hospital.’ said the prison department.
Death is always painful. Artificially orchestrated death is very painful. A murder for murder is not right. We must fight to change the social system responsible for this brutal murder. Let Swathy’s murder show us the way to social justice.
