The body of a three-year-old girl who had gone missing from Thiruvaniyoor panchayat was fished out of Chalakkudy River near Moozhikulam Bridge within the Chengamanad police station in Ernakulam rural police limits in Kerala on around 2.30 a.m. Tuesday (May 20, 2025).

Reportedly, she was thrown into the river by her mother, Sandhya, who has been booked for murder by the Chengamanad police. Though she has been taken into custody, her arrest has not yet been recorded. The victim was the younger daughter of Sandhya and her husband, Subhash.

Sandhya picked the child up from the anganwadi in Mattakkuzhi in Thiruvaniyoor panchayat, where the family resides at Subhash’s house, on Monday evening. CCTV footage has emerged of the mother carrying her daughter. Later, she reportedly took a bus to her house at Kurumasserry in Parakkadavu block panchayat.

Reportedly, Subhash was alongside his father, who is recuperating from surgery at Kolancherry Medical Mission Hospital. His brother noticed that Sandhya and the child had not returned and rang her house at Kurumasserry when they did not return late into the evening. However, he was told that they were not there. She reached home alone later and initially declined to reveal where the child was, other than saying that she had gone missing.

Later, Mattakkuzhi ward member Beena Jose called Sandhya, who said that the child had gone missing at Aluva while on the way to her home. “We found her explanation suspicious. There have been instances in the past where she has hurt the child. So, we alerted the Puthencruz police within the limits of which Mattakkuzhi ward falls,” said Ms. Jose.

Following this, the police launched a massive hunt for the child. “CCTV footage emerged of her carrying the child up near the Moozhikulam bridge,” Ms. Jose said. Subsequently, the Fire and Rescue Services were alerted to deploy a scuba team. However, the body was fished out by the residents and the police by the time the scuba team arrived.

There were reports about familial discord, though these remain to be verified.