CCTV footage captured movements of accused; tried to mislead investigation with conflicting versions

Aluva: Police investigation team examined footage from more than 50 CCTVs while questioning Ashfaq Alam, accused in the case of a five-year-old girl's killing. These visual recordings are expected to be crucial evidence in the upcoming trial.

One of the CCTV cameras, located in a chicken stall within the Aluva garage area, captured the accused crossing the railway gate with the child. From there, he proceeded towards the national highway and boarded a bus headed to Thrissur around 3 pm.

The police combed through the visuals in their search for the accused. They examined every shop in the market area, and a witness confirmed seeing the man passing through the vicinity with the child. However, they couldn't obtain any further evidence to pinpoint their exact location.

Around 5 pm, the CCTV outside the market captured the accused without the child, raising concerns. Another video showed him engaging in a dispute and consuming alcohol with some individuals around 6 pm. Based on the CCTV footage received from Thottakkattukara at 10 pm, the police successfully located and apprehended the accused.

Initially, Ashfaq Alam provided conflicting statements to the police. In his intoxicated state, he initially claimed no knowledge of the girl. Further questioning on Friday night failed to yield any meaningful results.

The interrogation resumed on Saturday morning under the supervision of the Rural SP. During this session, the accused claimed that he had taken the girl from her house, bought juice and candy, and then returned her. But as the questioning continued, his story changed and he claimed to have handed over the girl to a friend at the Aluva flyover. Eventually, he denied all these statements. However, after finding the child's body, he confessed to the crime, according to the police.