The family members of a two-year-old girl who was found dead in a well near her house at Kottukalkonam ward in Balaramapuram panchayat on Thursday morning are being questioned at the Balaramapuram police station. Devendu, the daughter of Sreejith and Sreethu, was reported missing in the morning. Later, her body was retrieved from the well. 

Cops are questioning Sreejith, Sreethu, the child's maternal grandmother Ragini and her uncle Harikumar as they suspect the child was murdered. A preliminary probe threw up contradictions in the statements of family members, following which they were taken to the station for a detailed investigation. 

Sreethu was temporarily employed with the Devaswom Board, while Sreejith, a supermarket employee, is from Parassala. The couple stayed separately, and Sreejith visited the house occasionally, according to other villagers. Sreethu's father, Udayan, died two weeks ago, and Sreejith arrived at the house on Wednesday evening to attend post-funeral rites, which were to be held on Thursday.

 The family members alerted other residents around 5 am and later informed police that Devendu was missing. Neyyatinkara fire force received a call from Balaramapuram police station in the morning. The well was around 35 feet deep and covered with a cloth. One of the residents spotted the cloth cover being removed partially, after which the fire force was informed. The fire force personnel recovered the body. 

The cops surveyed the house, sensed a pungent smell of kerosene, and spotted a soot stain in one of the rooms. Sreethu, Ragini, Harikumar and Devendu's four-year-old elder sister stayed in the house. There are also reports of one of the residents finding three ropes tied in knots in the shed. While neighbours believe the family members may have tried to die by suicide, police are yet to confirm this suspicion. 

Ragini is a helper at an anganwadi in the panchayat. She also did cleaning jobs at a temple near the house.