SIT to probe Kochi girl's death as family questions delay in investigation and ‘Korean friend’ theory
The parents suspect that someone else may have had access to her account, either before or after her death.
The parents suspect that someone else may have had access to her account, either before or after her death.
The parents suspect that someone else may have had access to her account, either before or after her death.
Kochi: Following mounting pressure from the family and public outcry over alleged investigative lapses, the Kerala Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the tragic death of 16-year-old Adithya in Kochi. The Plus-One student was found dead in a water-filled quarry in Chottanikkara on January 27, leaving behind a suicide note that cited grief over the death of a “Korean friend” she met on Instagram.
District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) KS Sudarshan officially formed the seven-member team on Wednesday. The team, led by the Puthencruz DySP, aims to unravel whether the ‘Korean friend’ was a genuine person or a digital trap.
“Since a detailed investigation is needed into the case, we have decided to hand over the probe to an SIT. The girl's phone is undergoing a detailed analysis to find out whether the 'Korean friend' is real or not. There are concerns that she was pranked, and it finally led to her death. Cyber experts are also part of the probe,” District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural) K S Sudarshan told Onmanorama.
For Adithya’s grieving parents, Mahesh and Remya, the SIT offers a final glimmer of hope for closure. The move comes after Mahesh and Remya raised serious concerns about the initial investigation. The family alleged they were met with technical excuses, including a claim that unlocking the girl's phone could cost over ₹1 lakh, and that they eventually had to crack the password themselves.
“We hope a special investigation could find the truth that led to our daughter's death. We have the right to know why she did this,” Remya said.
Earlier, despite the parents unlocking the phone, the police said that crucial data and Instagram chats had already been deleted. The parents now suspect that someone else may have had access to her account, either before or after her death.
The investigation is now centred on the mysterious social media profile that belonged to the ‘Korean friend’. While Adithya’s note claimed the friend died in an accident on January 19, teachers and family are skeptical. Biju KS, a teacher at her school, said that an Instagram account linked to the friend saw its follower count drop from 19 to five shortly after the incident.
To address these inconsistencies, the SIT will conduct a comprehensive forensic sweep to recover deleted chats and metadata. Cyber experts integrated into the team are tasked with determining the true identity behind the ‘Korean friend’ profile to see if it was a sophisticated catfishing attempt or a cruel prank.
Furthermore, investigators are looking into account access logs to identify if anyone else logged into Adithya’s Instagram, potentially manipulating the narrative before her death.