Unidentified woman’s skeletal remains found inside a barrel at Kumbalam
KOCHI: The skeletal remains of an unidentified woman were found stuffed inside a barrel at Kumbalam on Monday. The skeleton believed to be more than a year old was discovered by the police who broke open the barrel following complaints from the public of an overpowering stench emanating from it.
The barren expanse, where the barrel was found, belongs to an Alappuzha-based private company. Besides the skeletal remains, the barrel was filled with concrete and bricks.
Officers said the body was in a decomposed state and from the remains of the hair, dress and a silver waistband (aranjanam) it was confirmed it belonged to a woman. “We have confirmed the body is of a woman aged around 30. An investigation based on the missing person complaints lodged with the South police station has already begun. So far we have not received any clues and the skeleton will be sent to the Forensic Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram for DNA examination,” said Ernakulam South CI Siby Tom.
The land measuring around six acres is situated near the National Highway and the lake at Kumbalam. According to the police, the barrel had been found when a canal which opens out into the lake from the land was cleaned using a JCB in December 2016.The barrel had been found floating in the lake near the land boundary. Later, it was taken ashore and dumped there.
“The barrel was taken ashore in December 2016. Since it was found floating in the water more than a year ago, the body might be older than a year,”said the CI. Officers believe the barrel had been filled with concrete after stuffing the body into it.Forensic experts visited the spot and collected evidence. City Police Commissioner(CP) M P Dinesh, Thrikkakara ACP P Shams and other officers also visited the spot.
Two months ago, a dead body with the limbs tied was found inside a sack in the backwaters at Nettur. The police have not made any breakthrough in the investigation so far. Meanwhile, there were reports the bricks found inside the barrel and those found along with the sack in Nettur were identical.
However, the police officers, who refused to confirm this, said an investigation is on.