The victim 18-year-old girl, the accused Nithya (19)
KOCHI: An 18-year-old girl was allegedly strangled to death and her body burnt in Kerala’s Idukki district, and a man has been detained in connection with the case, police said on Friday. The accused, Nishanth (19), a native of Vatapara in Kerala’s Idukki, is suspected of sexually assaulting the girl before killing her, police said. The girl left home on October 11 and travelled to Poopara in Idukki, according to police.
Local residents alerted the police, following which officers from Karimanal police station reached the spot and launched an investigation.
The victim’s relatives told reporters that Nishanth had allegedly been involved with other women. The victim was from Bodinayakanur in Tamil Nadu. Police there had registered a missing-person case after she disappeared from home. Her relatives later approached the police following the recovery of the body to help establish her identity. She and Nishanth allegedly had an argument while they were together. Investigators suspect that he strangled her before setting her body on fire. They called for a detailed investigation and urged police to check whether he had any previous criminal record.
Her charred remains were found on Wednesday behind an unused shed near a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) quarters close to the Pambla dam.
On Thursday, the family identified the body using her nail polish and physical features, officials said.