PALAKKAD: The grief in Kadampazhipuram is still raw, and the questions surrounding Sreenanda’s death only deepen the pain. For those who knew her, the 15-year-old was vibrant, curious and full of life. A Class 10 student of High School Kadampazhipuram, Sreenanda was known among her friends and teachers as an all-rounder.
“She was a very active girl, always participating in competitions and winning prizes. Her room and the showcase at home are filled with trophies,” said Rajan K, cousin of Sreenanda’s father, Ramesh Gopalan.
Rajan was part of the 40-member family group that had travelled with her to Hampi and Chikkamagaluru. His voice still carries disbelief as he recalls the final moments.
“Just minutes before she went missing, we were recording live videos. She loved flowers and stray animals. She was so happy. Cheerful till the very last moment we saw her. This is something we still cannot believe,” he said. According to relatives, there was nothing unusual about that evening. After visiting the Manikyadhara waterfall viewpoint in the Baba Budangiri hills, Sreenanda had returned to the parking area and was with her parents. Within a span of barely four minutes, she disappeared.
Four days and intensive search operations later, her body was found at the bottom of a steep gorge near the waterfall - a location that has only intensified the family’s doubts. Relatives insist the spot where the body was recovered lies on the opposite side of where she was last seen. “She never went to that side.
There is no chance she could have fallen there,” Ajith K, Sreenanda’s uncle told media, raising the possibility that the body may have been brought to the location later.
The family has also pointed to the presence of several unidentified people in the area at the time.
Ajith had earlier voiced suspicion: “We believe she was abducted. There were many beggars and people staying around there. Something like this could not have happened without their knowledge. But the police are not questioning them.”
Kadampazhipuram grama panchayat president A K Beena echoed the concerns, reflecting the unease felt across the community. “The family strongly suspects foul play. Sreenanda was an active and mentally strong girl - there is no way she would harm herself. They believe someone might have attacked her. There are also doubts whether the body was lying there for all these days. Only a detailed postmortem can reveal what really happened,” she told TNIE.
The body will be brought to her home by Saturday noon, after legal formalities in Karnataka.
Sreenanda belonged to the Koottara family, with most of her relatives living nearby in Kadampazhipuram. While about 25 members of the group have returned home on Wednesday believing that Sreenanda would be traced unhurt, others stayed back in Chikkamagaluru to support her parents, Ramesh and Rohini, who run a metal fabrication unit.
Back in the village, the loss feels deeply personal. A house once filled with the excitement of a young girl’s achievements now stands heavy with silence. Her final rites will be held at Ivarmadom, Thiruvilwamala after the team from Chikkamagaluru returns with the body, relatives said. Sreenanda is survived by her parents and her elder brother Sachu, who is pursuing a diploma.
