The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu on Friday, October 14, ordered a CB-CID (Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department) probe into the murder case of 20-year-old Sathya Priya by her stalker Sathish in Chennai. Sathya Priya was pushed in front of a moving train at the St Thomas Mount Railway Station by Sathish on Thursday. He fled the scene as soon as he pushed her. The police were able to nab him from Thoraipakkam in the early hours of October 14 and he was taken to Mambalam police station for further questioning. Mambalam police presented him before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Saidapet which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody, to investigate the murder.
Sathya Priya, a BSc student at Jain College in T Nagar, had known Sathish for many years as they lived in the same neighbourhood in Guindy. His father was a retired Special Sub Inspector (SSI) in the Adambakkam police station, while her mother was a Head Constable at the same station.
According to police sources, Sathish has been harassing Sathya Priya for over a year. She had filed a police complaint twice, once at the Mambalam police station and another one at the St Thomas Mount police station. On May 20, 2022, Sathya’s mother Ramalakshmi filed a complaint at the Mambalam police station against Sathish saying that he got into an argument with her daughter. The Mambalam police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and booked Sathish under Section 75 of Tamil Nadu City Police Act,1888 (penalty for drunkenness or riotous or indecent behaviour in public place). He received station bail and was let out the same day. He was not booked for harassment or stalking.
Two days later, Sathya’s mother filed another complaint at the St Thomas Mount police station. Sources told TNM that both the families were asked to appear for an inquiry. However, a ‘compromise’ was arrived at and there was no FIR this time. Sathya’s mother was made to give in writing that she did not want to proceed with the complaint anymore.
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