Deleted chats of mother to be retrieved as mystery deepens in Balaramapuram baby's murder

Thiruvananthapuram: The mobile phone of the accused in the case of allegedly throwing his two-year-old niece into a well and killing her will be sent for scientific examination, said Neyyattinkara Rural SP K S Sudarshan. The investigation will also determine whether the child’s mother Shreethu had any involvement. The accuracy of the statements currently available can only be verified through further inquiry, the SP added.

A detailed investigation is underway. The authorities will examine whether Shreethu had any role in the incident. The veracity of the statements provided so far will only be confirmed after thorough scrutiny. The mobile phone will be sent for technical analysis, and all WhatsApp chats will be retrieved, even if deleted. Further inquiries will determine if there are any other suspicious aspects in the case. The accused’s statement cannot be accepted at face value. The arrest was made based on evidence confirming the crime, the SP stated.

The incident occurred on Thursday morning at the rented residence of Shreethu and her husband Sreejith at Kottukalkonam in Balaramapuram. The accused, Harikumar, stated that resentment towards his sister led him to commit the crime.

The murder, which shocked the locality, took place in the early hours of Thursday. It was Shreethu, who alerted the neighbours that her younger child was missing. A search was conducted by locals and the police for several hours. Eventually, the Fire and Rescue Services inspected the well within the house compound and found the child’s lifeless body. 

Upon questioning relatives at the police station, Harikumar confessed to the crime.