Missing girl found dead near railway track in Malappuram; police question teen over suspected murder

Malappuram, Kerala: A 14-year-old schoolgirl reported missing after leaving home for school on Thursday was found dead on Friday in an isolated area near a railway track in Malappuram district. Police suspect murder and have taken a 16-year-old boy, reportedly close to the girl, into custody.

The victim, a Class IX student from Karuvarakundu near Nilambur, left home Thursday morning for school but did not return in the evening. When family efforts to locate her failed, her mother filed a missing complaint at Karuvarakundu police station, prompting a search.

Police said she got off the bus near her school at around 9.30 am on Thursday. Later that evening, she answered a call from her mother, saying she would return home soon. Her phone was later switched off.

Body discovered in forested railway area

Local residents found the girl’s body around 10.30 am on Friday in an isolated forested area near the Pandikkad–Thodiyapulam railway track. Police reached the scene for preliminary investigation.

The girl was found in her school uniform, with her school bag nearby. Her hands were tied behind her back, and initial observations suggest injury marks. Authorities believe she was strangled. A post-mortem examination will confirm the cause of death and collect forensic evidence. Police have treated the case as a suspected homicide from the start.

Minor boy taken into custody

A 16-year-old boy has been taken into police custody and is being questioned. He reportedly showed police the location where the body was found.

Residents and relatives told authorities the girl had been seen with the boy near Vaniyambalam on Thursday evening. The boy had previously been warned by locals after it emerged that he was allegedly involved in a relationship with the girl.

Police said the boy initially denied seeing the girl but later disclosed more details. Preliminary investigations suggest he may have taken her to Thodiyapulam, around 20 km from Karuvarakundu, where she was allegedly murdered. Officials also suspect she may have been sexually assaulted before her death, which will be confirmed after the post-mortem.

Both the victim and the accused were students at the same school. The boy had not attended classes for the past week. He will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, and police said the case is being handled with utmost confidentiality due to the ages of both minors.

Police emphasised that the circumstances are suspicious and require a detailed investigation, with further clarity expected after forensic and post-mortem results.