Kottiyam: Amid hunt for clues into the drowning of seven-year-old Devananda in a river here last week, a team of the Department of Fire and Rescue Services inspected the spot on Friday.
The personnel of Fire and Rescue Services accompanied by the forensic team collected samples of mud and water from different areas of Pallimon river.
Mud and silt were found in Devananda's respiratory tract and stomach during autopsy. With the samples collected by the scuba diving team of the Fire and Rescue Services Department, the forensic team hopes to identify the origin of the mud inside her body.
During the investigation, the scuba team discovered that there were several deep trenches and whirlpools in the river, due to constant removal of sand from the river.
Devananda's body was found in the river near her home in Kollam district last Friday, a day after she went missing.
The post-mortem report had stated the cause of death as drowning. Police inquest too had revealed that there were no signs of struggle or bruises on her body. However, the police commenced an intensive probe looking into multiple aspects after her parents and relatives raised doubts over the death.
Police suspect that the girl would have tumbled into the river while trying to cross a makeshift bridge to reach the riverside, which is around 500 metres from the house. However, they are clueless as to why the girl walked alone. It was earlier suspected that the child might have headed to a temple she visited frequently.
But Devananda's mother Dhanya had given a statement that her daughter would never walk alone to the riverside.
Devananda, the eldest daughter of Kudavattoor natives C Pradeep and Dhanya, went missing from her home in Kottarakkara taluk while her mother was washing clothes around 10:30am last Thursday.
Devananda was a Class-1 student at the Saraswathi Vidya Nikethan School at Vakkanadu, Kollam.
