Lawyer withdraws as accused Ramkumar changes testimony

Infosys Techie Swati's murderer, Ramkumar's change of testimony that he was not the killer of the girl and that he was forced to confess to the murder by the police had left him without a lawyer to fight his case. Lawyer Krishnamurthy, who volunteered to take up Ramkumar's case, said he was withdrawing from the case because of the change of testimony by the accused who had earlier admitted to the murder and later adopted not guilty plea. He was doing so because he was facing criticism from his colleagues. Krishnamurthy said not only he but also his seconds would not argue the case. He said he had taken up the case as Ramukumar was a Dalit like himself. But the change of testimony forced him to withdraw from the case. Ramkumar had hacked Swati in broad daylight with a sickle even as commuters on the Nungambakkam station platform just gaped at the gruesome murder. He later walked away and disappeared. While the CCTV at the railway station did not work, the cameras in public places picked him up wearing a checked shirt and walking away without any fright.