IDUKKI: Mystery shrouds the death of an 18-year-old Pocso case survivor, whose body was found with a belt tightened around her neck in the bedroom of her house at Erattayar in Idukki on Tuesday morning.
The police have launched an investigation to check for the possibility of murder. They are awaiting the postmorterm report to ascertain the cause of death.
Sources with the police said the girl — a survivor in the Pocso case registered by Kattappana police in 2022 — was found dead by her mother around 8.45am. “When the girl’s mother entered the room to wake her up, she found her lying dead on the bed with a belt around her neck,” said an officer with the Intelligence wing. It was found that the belt belonged to the girl’s father, the officer said.
The incident is suspected to have occurred at night. According to the police, the girl’s parents were in the house, while her brother had gone out around 9.45pm and came back at 2.45am. “Following the preliminary investigation, the police suspect it to be a case of suicide. However, an investigation has been launched to check for the possibility of murder,” the officer said.
As per the Pocso case, the girl was sexually abused by her boyfriend and his friend at her home when her family members had gone out.
Cops awaiting autopsy report
“The case is in the trial stage and the accused are now out on bail, “ an officer said. According to the police, the two accused, who are out of town as part of their jobs, are not in their suspect list now. The investigation team has collected CCTV footage from the area and other evidence as part of the probe. After the inquest proceedings, the body was taken to the Idukki Medical College Hospital on Tuesday evening. The postmortem examination will be conducted on Wednesday. The police are awaiting the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death, the officer added.