Anganwadi helper found dead in Gavi forest; one detained
Pathanamthitta: A 34-year-old Anganwadi helper was found dead under highly suspicious circumstances inside the deep forest area of Gavi on Thursday morning. The deceased has been identified as Menaka, a native of Tamil Nadu, who worked at the Meenar Anganwadi and resided locally in Gavi. Her husband, Suresh, works as a plantation labourer in the region, and the couple has one child.
Suspicious signs of physical struggle
According to local accounts, Menaka set out from Gavi around 9.00 am on Thursday to walk to the Anganwadi located in Meenar, roughly three kilometers away. The route between the two locations cuts entirely through dense forest.
Shortly after leaving, she reportedly called her father in Tamil Nadu, frantically telling him that "something had bitten her”. When her father attempted to call her back, the phone went unanswered. Panicked, he immediately alerted local residents, who launched a search operation along her usual walking trail.
At around 11.00 am, search parties discovered her body lying on the banks of a forest stream (Meenar). Eyewitnesses reported that her clothes were torn and the surrounding area showed clear signs of a physical struggle. The Moozhiyar police were immediately alerted and rushed to the scene alongside Forest Department officials.
Suspect detained in neighbouring district
Witnesses informed the police that a local tribal youth was spotted behaving suspiciously in the area shortly after Menaka had walked past. Acting on this crucial lead, the Moozhiyar police tracked the suspect's movements and alerted neighboring stations.
By Thursday afternoon, the suspect was intercepted and taken into custody at Vallakkadavu, near Vandiperiyar in the Idukki district.
While the visible injuries and torn clothing point toward foul play, top officials state that a definitive conclusion on whether this is a case of murder or sexual assault will only be reached after the post-mortem examination. A forensic team from Pathanamthitta has been deployed to the site for preliminary evidence gathering. Investigators are currently interrogating the detained suspect and probing whether more individuals were involved in the crime.
(With PTI inputs)