KOLLAM: In what could be mistaken as the climax of a crime thriller, the Chathannoor police have gathered crucial evidence to prove that the Facebook friend, Ananthu, who allegedly prompted 22-year old Reshma of Kalluvathukkal to abandon her new born baby is a fictitious character. The anticlimax, however, is that the fake ID Ananthu was created by Reshma’s close relatives Arya and Greeshma who ended life by jumping into a river soon after the arrest of the infant’s mother.
According to Chathannoor ACP Nizamudeen Y, who is leading the probe, the police have got evidence to prove that Reshma had been chatting with a fake ID created by Arya and Greeshma. The information was confirmed after questioning one of Greeshma’s close friends who had been aware of the prank played by the young women.
In the initial phase itself, police found the Facebook ID to be fake, but, investigators had no clue that Reshma’s relatives were behind that. It is learnt that the version of the witness will be recorded as sworn statement in front of the judicial magistrate in the coming week. The police are also waiting to interrogate Reshma who is under quarantine at Women’s Prison, Attakulangara, after testing positive for Covid. Reshma told the police that she had abandoned her second child as advised by Facebook friend Ananthu though she had never met Ananthu or seen his photograph.
The infant boy was found dumped in a heap of garbage behind Reshma’s house at Oozhaykode, near Kalluvathukkal, on January 5. Though the infant was rushed to hospital, he couldn’t be saved. After nearly five months of investigation, the police obtained scientific evidence through DNA test to prove the child was delivered by Reshma. However, Reshma’s husband Vishnu told police that he was not aware that she had been pregnant. Reshma’s arrest was recorded on June 22. She had said the second child would be a hurdle for her plans to live with her Facebook friend.
The investigation turned to 23-year-old Arya, the sister-in-law of Vishnu, after police found that Reshma had used a SIM card taken in her name. On the scheduled day of interrogation, Arya and her relative 22-year-old Greeshma went missing. Later, their bodies were recovered from Ithikara river.
‘Quizzing Reshma may give clarity’
Though local people initially put the police in the dock for their death, investigators found a link between their suicide and Reshma’s arrest. The question why the women resorted to suicide as they had been summoned only for verifying status of SIM card perplexed police and subsequently led them to Greeshma’s close friend. She told police that Greeshma had been pranking Reshma for fun and she had no intention to harm her. Greeshma has also revealed about the prank to her mother, said the police.
Though Reshma named Ananthu for persuading her to abandon the child, the police have found loopholes in the argument. An officer, who is part of the probe, said Arya and Greeshma might not have been aware of Reshma’s pregnancy. “She might have hidden that information from her virtual friend and abandoned the child of her own will. That might be the reason the two women took their lives. We will get more clarity once we interrogate Reshma in custody,” he said.