Kochi, Feb 24 (IANS) What was initially suspected to be a railway accident near Kerala’s Vyttila has now been confirmed as a case of murder, with police arresting a Kochi man for allegedly killing a 35-year-old woman and dumping her body on a disused railway track in a bid to pass it off as a suicide.

The accused, identified as Shaji, was taken into custody by the Maradu police after crucial CCTV footage and forensic leads pointed to his involvement.

The victim, Sudha Baby, a native of Kottayam, was found dead on the railway track beneath the Vyttila flyover late at night.

The body was first spotted by the loco pilot of the Amrita Express passing through Vyttila.

Police who reached the spot around 4 a.m. initially thought whether she had fallen from a train.

However, injuries to her head and face, along with visible bloodstains, were inconsistent with a train accident, raising suspicions of foul play. Inquest proceedings strengthened the conclusion that it was a homicide.

Investigators recovered mobile phones from the scene, and SIM card details helped identify the victim.

CCTV visuals soon emerged as the decisive breakthrough.

Footage showed Sudha arriving near the track around 11.30 p.m. in a car with a man.

The two were seen walking towards the area beneath a nearby bridge.

Later visuals captured the man, identified as Shaji, returning alone to the car.

Notably, bloodstains were visible on his shirt.

Police believe a verbal altercation between the two escalated into murder.

After killing her, the accused allegedly placed the body on the railway track to make it appear as though she had died by suicide, possibly by jumping in front of a train.

However, his plan failed as the body was left on a disused Ernakulam Kottayam line that sees no regular train services.

Within hours of the body being discovered, police traced the vehicle seen in the footage and identified the suspect.

Shaji was subsequently detained for questioning and formally arrested.

During the questioning, he admitted to committing the crime.

The crime scene, an area beneath the Vyttila overbridge, is dimly lit at night despite the presence of several nearby establishments.

–IANS

sg/vd