Four deaths in Idukki house fire: Case unsolved even after 8 months, natives to resume protest

Idukki: Mystery is continuing to surround the deaths of four members of a family, including two women and two children, in a house fire at Kombodinjhal here. Even after eight months, police have failed to determine the cause of the tragic incident. Alleging an undue delay in the investigation, relatives and members of a people’s action committee have launched protests.

Shubha (38), wife of late Aneesh of Thellippadavil, her children Abhinand (9) and Abhinav (5), and her mother Ponnamma (75) were burnt to death after their house caught fire on May 9, 2025. During the initial stage of the probe, investigators suspected an electrical short circuit. However, a preliminary report by the District Electrical Inspectorate ruled out this possibility.

Subsequently, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) heading the probe was transferred following a promotion, resulting in changes to the investigation team. Local residents allege that this reshuffle further delayed the inquiry.

Unanswered questions
The case has become an unsolved puzzle, with investigators yet to find answers to several key questions. Typically, occupants attempt to escape during a fire. However, the bodies of three victims—excluding the youngest child—were found inside bedrooms and were completely charred. The youngest child’s body was recovered from the kitchen area.

At the same time, workers engaged in timber work on a nearby hillside reportedly heard an explosion-like sound on the night of the incident.

Following public outrage, a special investigation team was constituted under DySP Jinsen Mathew on the instructions of the Idukki District Police Chief. The team examined the mobile phone records of the deceased woman and explored multiple angles, including the possibility of a family suicide pact and suspicions of homicide followed by arson.

Sources said chemical analysis detected traces of a substance believed to be used by the Forest Department, further deepening the mystery.

A day after the incident, the Konnathady Grama Panchayat president publicly expressed doubts about the circumstances of the fire and submitted a written complaint to the police. An action council was later formed in Konnathady.

Action Council voices discontent
The people’s action committee has demanded that the investigation be intensified. Members said that despite several months having passed, officials have failed to identify the cause of the fire.

They pointed out that although the Electrical Inspectorate conclusively ruled out a short circuit, the police have not established an alternative explanation. They also noted that the family reportedly had no known enemies.

The committee further observed that if the fire had been caused by an electrical fault, the occupants had access to three exit doors, yet no evidence of an escape attempt was found. Moreover, while remnants of the mud-walled and old timber house remained partially intact, three of the victims’ bodies were reduced to ashes.

Alleging serious lapses and continued ambiguity, committee office-bearers Anil Vilakkunnel, Vinod Karukappillil, and Shubha’s brother, Girish, announced plans to launch protest programmes, accusing the police of conducting the investigation at a sluggish pace.