The CID team investigating the mysterious death of a 23-year-old engineering student is questioning the uncle of the suspect Sudarshan Yadav, who is in their custody. Sources say that Sudarshan's uncle, who was a station writer at the Sadar Bazaar Police Station, had given the woman's cellphone to the victim's parents, a day before her body was discovered.
Sudarshan's uncle, Anjaneya, was suspended last week. "[Anjaneya] had given [the victim's parents] the phone saying he had found it. He is being questioned currently. He had handed over the phone one day before her body was found," the source added.
The CID, however, did not divulge any information on how Anjaneya came into possession of the victim's phone.
The suspect, Sudarshan Yadav, is currently in CID custody and is being questioned. The Judicial Magistrate of First Class in Raichur granted four-day custody of Sudarshan Yadav to the CID on Wednesday, though the CID had asked for 10-day custody.
CID sources say that the victim had ended the relationship with Sudarshan five months ago. Sudarshan and the victim allegedly had a fight in public near the Raichur RTO. "Students at the college said that Sudarshan had hit her that day, after which she had ended the relationship with him. They said that he was extremely possessive of the victim and would fight with her for speaking to other men," the source added.
Meanwhile, the constable of the Women's Police Station has been accused of failing to take seriously the missing persons complaint, filed by the victim's parents. The constable has been suspended pending a departmental inquiry.
Investigators suspect that Sudarshan may have been accompanied by at least one other person. "The woman's scooter was in the college campus. There is no record of her stepping out of the college. There is suspicion of kidnapping, which can be determined after the suspect has been questioned," the source said.
The engineering student, who went missing on April 13, was found hanging from a tree in a farm that belonged to Sudarshan Yadav's father. The Netaji Nagar Police, who were initially probing the case, had concluded that it was a suicide after they found a note in which the victim had alleged she was taking her own life.
After massive protests from the students of the engineering college, who alleged foul play, the police were forced to register a case of murder and Sudarshan Yadav was taken into custody.
The probe was handed over to the CID last week after pressure from the victim's parents.