Heartbreak over death of Korean friend suspected in Kochi girl’s suicide

Kochi: In a heartbreaking development in the investigation of a 16-year-old girl’s death near Chottanikkara on Tuesday morning, the police now suspect that grief over the alleged demise of a Korean friend she met on social media drove her to take the extreme step. Adithya, a Plus One student at Chottanikkara Government VHSS and a resident of Kakkad, was found dead on Tuesday morning in an abandoned quarry pond just hundreds of meters from her home. While she had left for school at 7.45 am, her body was found shortly after 9.00 am by her cousin, who spotted her lying upside down in the 150-foot-deep waters.

The investigation took a significant turn when Chottanikkara police recovered a four-page suicide note from her school bag, which had been found placed neatly on the quarry shore alongside her books and lunch box. In the note, Adithya reportedly wrote about a Korean friend, allegedly a member of a music band, whom she had befriended through Instagram. She mentioned that this friend died in an accident on January 19, an event that apparently left her deeply distraught. 

The police,citing the suicide note, said that she appeared to be profoundly upset over this loss, and the resulting grief likely led her to take her own life. To verify the details of this online relationship, authorities are working with IT support to unlock her phone, as it is currently locked. 

“Only after checking the phone and chat details, we can know exactly what happened. We must also determine if her parents were aware of this relationship,” said a police officer.

Family members and local residents remain in a state of shock as more details about Adithya’s digital life emerge. Based on statements from relatives, the police found that the teenager had been consuming a large amount of Korean content online recently. Gopalakrishnan, the uncle of Adithya's father, Mahesh, expressed the family's disbelief, explaining that while she used a phone for her studies, they were entirely unaware of her international social media friendships. 

“We all are still in shock after her death. It seems she befriended the Korean guy on social media, but the family was unaware of it. Let the police find out what exactly happened,” Gopalakrishnan told Onmanorama.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem examination has been completed at the Ernakulam Medical College Hospital, confirming that the cause of death was drowning. Police sources indicated that nothing suspicious was found during the procedure, and they are currently waiting for the full, detailed forensic report. 

“The doctors said prima facie the cause of death is drowning only. Once the funeral ceremonies are concluded, we will take the parents' detailed statements,” a source confirmed.

Following the post-mortem, Adithya's body was returned to her home in Kakkad, Adithya is the only daughter of Mahesh, a well-construction labourer, and Divya, a homemaker.

The Chottanikkara Police have registered the case as an unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).