KOCHI: The disappearance of Kalyani took a dark turn after the police arrested her mother, Sandhya for allegedly killing the four-year-old by throwing her into the Chalakudy river at Moozhikulam near Puthencruz in Ernakulam.
The arrest followed the recovery of Kalyani’s body from the river in the early hours of Tuesday, hours after she was reported missing on Monday night. Police said the mother has not provided a clear reason for her actions.
Kalyani was the youngest daughter of Subash and Sandhya, who hail from Mattakuzhy near Puthencruz. Her 11-year-old brother is a Class 6 student in a nearby school.
As per police, Sandhya left home around 3pm on Monday on the pretext of buying a regulator for their pressure cooker. On the way, she picked up Kalyani from the anganwadi where she studied. The mother and daughter boarded a bus plying from Thiruvankulam to Aluva to go to their house in Kurumassery. However, upon reaching Kurumassery, Sandhya went to Moozhikulam, which is located on the banks of the Chalakudy river.
Police said Sandhya travelled to Moozhikulam in a transport bus and returned in an autorickshaw. Its driver told police that Sandhya was alone when she boarded his vehicle.
“We have CCTV footage from Moozhikulam of Sandhya arriving with Kalyani. Later, she was seen returning alone. We have identified some witnesses. Their statements will be recorded soon,” said Ernakulam Rural Police Chief M Hemalatha.
Around 7.30 pm, Sandhya returned to her home in Kurumassery and told her mother that Kalyani had gone missing during the bus ride. By then, Subash grew suspicious and lodged a missing complaint at Puthencruz police station.
“Her (Sandhya’s) initial statements were contradictory. Upon further questioning, she admitted to throwing the child into the river from Moozhikulam bridge,” a police officer said.
Search efforts led by the fire and rescue services’ scuba diving team and residents began around 9 pm. The body was recovered near the bridge around 2.30am on Tuesday.
“Though she (Sandhya) is cooperating, her versions of the incident keep changing. A detailed investigation is on to ascertain the motive. We will soon record the statements of the family members,” Hemalatha said.
Following the postmortem, Kalyani’s body was brought to her residence in Mattakuzhy and cremated at Thiruvaniyoor crematorium by 4.30pm.