Munnar: A school girl who died under suspicious circumstances here earlier this week was sexually abused.
Initially it was suspected that she died after the rope of the swing at her home tangled around the eight-year-old's neck . But as an autopsy revealed that she was subjected to repeated sexual abuses in the past a probe to unravel a murder angle is on.
The class-3 student found dead in her house at the Gundumala Estate here could have been murdered, say police.
Her body was found with rope around neck on the cot in her house located in the upper division of the estate in Idukki district on Monday.
It is unclear if she was abused just before death. The girl had reportedly shown lack of interest in studies lately. The police will collect evidence from her teachers and classmates once school reopens.
District police chief T Narayanan visited the crime scene. A special 11-member team under Munnar DYSP M Ramesh has been formed to probe the case.
The team opened a camp office near the girl’s house on Wednesday and quizzed 50 people within two days. The cybercell is tracking the phone records of many of them. The probe is focused on the abuser, which is likely to lead to murderer.
The investigating team also includes Udumbanchola CI Anil George, Rajakkad CI HL Honey, Munnar SI KN Santosh and Idukki cybercell SI Joby.
Another death
Rajaguru, an employee of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company's children’s centre, was killed in the same estate. He was found hacked to death on February 14, 2017. The culprits were found months after the crime. The probe that focused on migrant workers initially later turned towards Rajaguru’s relatives.
The Gundumala Estate is 40 km from Munnar town.
