Superintendent of Police C. Madan addresses reporters in Thoothukudi district on March 19, 2026. | Photo credit: N. Rajesh
On Thursday, the police arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a XII student. class from a village in Thoothukudi district last week.
The arrested person was identified as M. Dharma Muneeswaran alias Maveeran, 38, of Sayalkudi in Ramanathapuram district.
Addressing the media, Thoothukudi District Superintendent of Police C. Madhan said that the evidence that led to the arrest of Muneeswaran was gathered through a purely scientific investigation. He said 10 special teams consisting of four deputy superintendents of police and six inspectors had been formed and investigations were being conducted from various angles.
He said 461 individuals from the district were interrogated both directly and through digital methods. Because the case is still under investigation, no further details can be released at this time, he said.
Sexual assault-cum-murder
When asked if it was a sexual assault-cum-murder, Mr. Madhan said yes and the samples were sent for testing. He said Muneeswaran had several cases against him but he had no political background. He added that necessary measures will be taken to ensure maximum punishment for the accused.
The suspect outside the Kulathur Police Station after he was arrested. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The 17-year-old girl reportedly went missing in a bushy forest about 250 meters from her residence on the evening of March 10. On the same day, her parents visited the Kulathur police station around 9.30 pm to file a complaint. Since the girl was a minor, her parents were asked to file a complaint at the Vilathikulam police station. On March 11, they approached Vilathikulam station. But the personnel officer allegedly refused to register the complaint.
The Vilathikulam station staff also allegedly used derogatory remarks on the victim. Finally, a case was registered at Kulathur police station. However, the victim was found murdered on March 11. Kulathur police rushed to the spot and sent the body to Thoothukudi Government Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.
The victim’s parents and villagers staged protests demanding the arrest of the suspect and action against the Kulathur and Vilathikulam police for not acting in time. Although the autopsy was completed on March 12, her family said they would not accept the body until the arrest of the suspect. Sources said that during the investigation, an unidentified bike was found parked a few meters away from where the body was found. Further analysis of CCTV footage from surrounding areas helped track down the suspect.
Based on these clues, one of the special teams arrested Muneeswaran. Police said he had stolen a bike from Parthibanur in Ramanathapuram district a few days ago and a case has also been registered in this regard. The victim’s family told The Hindu that interviews are on and the body will be received mostly by Friday. An investigation is underway to determine the sequence of events that led to the crime and determine whether others were involved, police said.
He was released on bail in December 2025
Police said Muneeswaran had been arrested earlier for a similar crime. Two years ago, the Fast Track Mahila Court in Thoothukudi awarded him a life sentence and found him guilty of rape and murder in a case reported in 2022. The court found him guilty and sentenced him on four counts – life imprisonment for murder, 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment for rape, 10 years’ imprisonment for robbery and two weeks’ imprisonment. According to the police, he was granted bail by the Madras High Court only in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IG) Vijayendra Bidari praised the meticulous investigation of the special teams in cracking the “blind” case. “In this case, there was no clue. No one saw the accused before or after the crime. There was a complete stranger at the crime scene, which is an interior village,” he said.
Mr Bidari said the accused signed the register in court as part of his bail conditions every day even after the offence. Since there were no CCTV cameras available near the crime scene, the police went through hours of video footage from those in nearby areas, remote locations and roads leading to the village. The IG said that the police would make all efforts to prosecute him expeditiously in this case.
Published – 19 March 2026 16:15 IST
