A Kottayam-based swimmer and rescuer, Afsal E P, plunged 60-feet into the treacherous depths of an abandoned pond on Tuesday and fished out the crucial material evidence in the Kanakkary Jessy murder case. The discovery of the victim's mobile phone marks a pivotal moment in the investigation of the case, which lacks eyewitnesses.

Jessy Sam, 50, had been missing since September 27. Her body was discovered on October 3 in a gorge in a rubber plantation at Cheppukkulam, Idukki, nearly 60 km from their Kanakkari residence. Police tracked the CCTV visuals and pinned down her husband, Kadappakkunnel Sam George, 59. Interrogation revealed that it was a case of premeditated murder when she was strangled to death by Sam at their home. Sam revealed that he had thrown two of Jessy’s mobile phones into a sprawling water body on the MG University campus.

Recovery of this material evidence was crucial for the police in establishing the motive. Specialist divers were needed to scour the bottom of the pond and considering the dangerous nature of the mission, the cops summoned ‘Team Emergency Kerala’ from Erattupetta, a group of volunteers who specialise in rescue mission during natural disasters and accidents.

The team recovered one mobile phone used by Jessy from the pond. Afsal, who led the team, carried out the recovery after an intense 1.5-hour mission. Battling freezing cold water and heavy depths, Afsal carefully navigated the rocky, muddy bottom to locate the device.

“Since there are no eyewitnesses in the case, every piece of digital evidence is important. This phone belonged to the deceased and could reveal her last contacts. The second phone, reportedly blue, may provide additional leads. Both will be sent to cyber forensics in Kottayam or Thiruvananthapuram for analysis. The efforts were coordinated by Kottayam Superintendent of Police Shahul Hameed A," said Kuruvilangad Circle Inspector E Ajeeb, the investigating officer.

“The police called us on October 6 seeking assistance,” Afsal said. “We planned the dive for early October 7. We arrived around 9 am, six members strong, with a dinghy, scuba suits, oxygen supplies, and safety gear.”

The pond itself presented formidable challenges. Covering 1.5 acres, it was rocky, muddy, and cold, though the water remained clear. “It was intimidating even from the banks. Diving deeper, it got even more challenging — freezing cold, mud beneath, and no solid surfaces to hold onto,” Afsal said.

The team located the approximate spot where Sam had admitted to dumping the phones. “We measured the depth using sticks and identified silt in the pond’s bottom,” Afsal explained. Using a rope tied to 30-kg rock for support, he carefully manoeuvred underwater, without unsettling the silt that could obscure visibility. “The rock acted as my anchor so I didn’t have to touch the bottom and risk losing sight of the phone,” he added.

At around 11 am, Afsal recovered the first phone, a Redmi model, resting on a rock at the bottom of the deepest part of the pond, positioned with its back facing upward. “Its flip cover prevented it from sinking into the silt, a common hazard for uncovered phones,” says Afsal. As he rose to the surface holding the phone, his friend, who was part of the daring mission, kissed him.

Plans to retrieve the second phone on the same day were delayed after the team’s oxygen supply ran out. When it was restored by the afternoon, the water had become dangerously cold, forcing them to halt the dive. “Prolonged exposure to cold could cause internal bleeding from the ears and there were two or three drops already,” says Afsal.

The search was later scheduled to continue on Thursday with assistance from the fire force. “We hope the second one is nearby. We’ll carefully search the slits where it might have slid through and got stuck,” he said.

“This is the eighth phone we have recovered in our career,” Afsal said. “We had no idea of the colour or condition of the devices, only that two were thrown into the pond.”

The case has revealed a troubled marital history. Sam, from a wealthy family in Uzhavoor, Kottayam, had met Jessy — a native of Kaipattorr in Pathanamthitta — in Bengaluru and married her in 1994. Their marriage was neither registered nor solemnised in church due to family opposition. Jessy was Sam’s second wife; his first wife had left him along with their child. 

Jessy and Sam were involved in severe disputes despite living under the same roof. She had filed a petition still under court consideration, which reportedly alarmed Sam. A former IT professional who worked in Bengaluru and the Middle East, Sam was pursuing a postgraduate course in tourism and travel management at the university.

The murder took place on the night of September 26, following an argument at their residence. Sam allegedly sprayed Jessy with pepper spray before smothering her in the bedroom with a bath towel. He placed her body in his car boot, transported it to Cheppukkulam, and dumped it in a gorge around 1 am. Their children, working abroad, alerted relatives after they could not contact her, prompting police action.