Kerala: Centre ready for CBI probe in brutal rape and murder of law student, says Rajnath Singh

The Centre is ready to conduct a CBI probe into the brutal rape and murder of a 30-year-old law student in Ernakulam district and the guilty will be punished, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.

"CBI probe should be held into the murder. As the country's Home Minister, I assure you that as soon as we get a recommendation (in this regard) from the state government, we are prepared to conduct a CBI probe," Singh, who began electioneering for the May 16 Assembly polls in Kerala, said at a public meeting here, about 16 km from Kollam city.

The Home Minister said the guilty will be brought to book. "I assure you that the guilty shall be punished," he said.

The Home Minister's remarks assume significance with the investigation by Kerala police not making much headway even days after the incident.

The Dalit woman, who hailed from a poor family, was raped and brutally assaulted using sharp-edged weapons before being murdered at her house at nearby Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district on April 28.

The shocking incident had its echo in Parliament with members demanding "exemplary punishment" for the culprits besides triggering widespread protests across the state.