KOCHI: Adding to the mystery surrounding the death of Vaiga Sanu, whose body was recovered from the Muttar river near Manjummel bridge on March 22, her family members have revealed that the 11-year-old was a trained swimmer. Though the police, citing an autopsy report which the media has no access to, claimed that Vaiga had drowned, the family members have ruled out that possibility.
A source close to her family told TNIE that Vaiga had undergone swimming coaching at a club in Kochi. “She had undergone training in a swimming club for several months. She had proved that she could swim in any condition. We cannot blindly believe that she died of drowning alone,” said the source.
Going by that statement, there exists the possibility of somebody leaving her unconscious and dumping her into the river. Since the police have recovered blood drops from the flat, the likelihood of someone having killed her at the flat and then dumping the body into the river cannot be ruled out either. The police remain clueless as they are yet to receive the lab report on Vaiga’s viscera samples.
A fire and rescue officer, who has rescued several persons from the river, said: “As the undercurrent was less at the Muttar river after the shutters at Manjummel were closed, chances are high for Vaiga to have escaped drowning. Maybe, she was in an unconscious state or in a state of panic. That could be a reason for drowning.”
IS APARTMENT RESIDENT THE CULPRIT?
On Tuesday, the investigation team conducted inspections at the apartment for the sixth time. It is also learnt that the team summoned four persons to the Commissioner’s office for questioning. The person who saw Sanu Mohan last alongside his daughter at the flat, the person who had given H10 lakh to Sanu after the latter pledged the flat document, a member of the flat association and one of Sanu’s neighbours were summoned to the Commissioner’s office.
CB likely to probe case
With the police continuing to grope in the dark, the district police chief is planning to hand over the Vaiga case to the city wing of the Crime Branch. Though the case was registered on March 22, the police have failed to resolve the mystery behind the death of Vaiga and the disappearance of her father Sanu.