Kerala: 2-year-old missing from home found dead in well amidst suspicious circumstances in Thiruvananthapuram

synopsis

Balaramapuram child death

Thiruvananthapuram: A missing two-year-old girl was found dead in a well at Balaramapuram on Thursday (Jan 30). The child, identified as Devendu, daughter of Sreethu and Sreejith, had gone missing earlier in the morning. Her parents reported that she was last seen sleeping before they realized she was missing. During the search operation, the Balaramapuram police discovered the child in the well. A fire force team was called in to inspect the well, where they found the girl’s lifeless body.

MLA M. Vincent stated that there are suspicions surrounding the incident, as it seems unlikely that the child could have fallen into the well on her own. Meanwhile, Neyyattinkara DYSP confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, and one person is being questioned about the case.

The MLA further stated that the well had walls, and the child seemed unlikely to have fallen into it on her own. He added that he rushed to the spot as soon as he learned of the incident. A police team, led by the DYSP, along with the fire force, searched the well.

According to the family, a fire had broken out in the room where the child’s uncle was sleeping just before the child went missing. After the fire, they used water to extinguish it, and it was only afterward that they realized the child was missing. The MLA also mentioned that the mother said she had heard the child crying around 5:30 AM, and the child was in the uncle’s room at that time.

The police have stated that the family’s statements are inconsistent. Two days earlier, the same family had approached the police with a complaint about losing Rs 30 lakh. However, since their statements were similarly inconsistent at that time, the police did not file a case. Now, after confirming the child’s death to be a murder, the police are questioning four individuals in custody. The child’s parents, her maternal grandmother, and her brother are among those being questioned.

Sreethu’s father had passed away 16 days earlier. Following that, the family approached the police station with a complaint about the disappearance of Rs 30 lakh. It is reported that Sreethu, Sreejith, and Sreethu’s brother are currently at the police station.

The incident took place in a house rented by the family in Balaramapuram. Locals say the family had been facing severe financial difficulties. The murdered child's maternal grandmother had previously attempted suicide twice. The locals allege that she had attempted to cut her nerves and had also jumped into a well.