IMPHAL, April 15: Kakching police have finally cracked the sensational murder case of Premila of Wabgai Thingel Leikai of Thoubal district whose body was found completely charred at Kakching Mahadev hillock on April 9, with the arrest of the alleged murderer on Sunday. The accused later confessed to the crime.
The accused Mayanglambam Khelendro alias Amujao, 32, son of M Radhamohon of Kakching Turel Wangma Ningthou Pareng was arrested by a team of Kakching police from his residence around 8:30pm Saturday in connection with the murder of Premila.
According to the police, Khelendro confessed that he clubbed Premila on the head and killed her after raping her. The alleged rapist and murderer was also found using a mobile handset that he had taken from Premila after killing her.
Further investigation into the case is now underway, the police said, before adding that Khelendro is presently under interrogation by the Kakching police.
Police further informed that during interrogation, the accused identified five individuals as involved in the killing of Premila, however when the five were picked up an interrogated, the police found that they were innocent.
Police also informed that Khelendro who is a drug addict had to be hospitalised after his arrest after he fainted during interrogation.
Meanwhile, an irate mob today dismantled the house of the accused Khelendro at Kakching Turel Wangma Ningthou Pareng as the news of his arrest spread.
Further according to a police source, the police had earlier arrested Khelendro for being a cadre of the banned PLA, he had joined the outfit in 2007.
Later in 2009, he joined the proscribed PREPAK but he quit the outfit after being arrested again by police, and again, he joined the banned KCP in 2010 and this time too he was apprehended by the police and later sent to jail, the police said and added that Khelendro was released from the jail only last year.
Khelendro is a married man with two sons and a wife.
The completely charred body of Premila was found by some wood cutters atop Kakching Mahadev hillock on April 9 late afternoon.
A team of Kakching police station headed by officer-in-charge S Nandababu accompanied by experts from the state Forensic Laboratory rushed to the spot about one and an half km south-east of Kakching police station the same day and recovered the body.
The skeleton of the burned body which police with the help of forensic experts later identified as that of Premila was found without the skull. The skull was found a short distance from the spot where the body was lying.
A finger ring, a burnt shoe in red colour and a piece of cloth believed to be her were also found nearby the site where she had been murdered.
Premila, 44, had left home on March 25 last around 7:30 pm after she received several phone calls from Khelendro who claimed to be a resident of Kakching Ningthou Leikai that day.
She had been untraceable since then. A missing report was also filed at Kakching police station by her family before they went to the house of of Khelendro and enquired her whereabouts. However, it came to light that the man named Khelendro was never found at Kakching Ningthou Leikai.
Pemila and Khelendro were reportedly having a love affair after they came to know each other through mobile phones.
With the news of the arrest of Khelendro spread in her locality, angry residents destroyed the house of the accused today, a police source said. However, the mob was quelled by a police team from Kakching police station.
