http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=98333
INDIA: No breakthrough in TV journalist's murder case Police continue to speculate on the number of shots fired and the motive behind the murder of Soumya Viswanathan The Times of India Thursday, October 2, 2008 By Medha Chaturvedi NEW DELHI --- The murder of 25-year-old TV journalist, Soumya Viswanathan, remained shrouded in mystery on the second day of investigations with the police still clueless about how and why she was killed. There were more than one theory about the culprits, motive and even the weapon used. And what were thought to be tell-tale blue smudges on Soumya's car, indicating that a vehicle could have brushed against it, could also be paint chipped off from a signboard on the Nelson Mandela Road's central verge, the cops said. After questioning her family, friends and colleagues, the cops are looking closely at a number from which there had been frequent communication with Soumya's number though they cautioned that this was still a routine investigation and nothing incriminating had surfaced so far. There was confusion over the number of bullets. On Wednesday, DCP (South) H G S Dhaliwal had indicated that more than one bullet could have been fired. "We have found a mark near the numberplate at front as if a bullet grazed past it. We have asked a team from FSL to carry out a ballistic test," Dhaliwal said. Later, however, this theory was discounted and he said only one bullet was fired. Dhaliwal added that the bullet recovered from her skull appeared to have been fired from a .315 bore country-made pistol but that was subject to confirmation by FSL. The confusion over the number of bullets however persisted because another officer said that it could also be an automatic pistol because to load a countrymade gun after shooting once takes a longer time. "We have sent the bullet to FSL and are waiting for the results. Whatever we are saying now is just speculation," he said. So, the two-bullet theory has not been entirely discarded. To establish a motive, cops are looking at personal enmity, road rage and romantic involvement, if any. "A known person could be responsible for the attack. We are also probing if a sharpshooter was involved because to hit a target which is moving is not easy," the officer, who didn't wish to be identified, said. Dhaliwal said that there was no witness to the crime. "A sanitation worker, who was on a cycle, saw her car swerving towards the central verge from a considerable distance. He did not even know about the shooting," said the officer. "We are questioning everybody in her office, including the security guards and the parking attendants. People have been cooperative so far," he said. The police are verifying if the timeline given to them so far is accurate. The cops have spoken to her family too. Soumya was found dead with a bullet in her head in her white Maruti Zen car on Tuesday morning around 3.40 am at Vasant Kunj. She was returning home after doing a night shift at her office in Jhandewalan. Date Posted: 10/2/2008
