"Devananda was abducted": Family raise suspicions

KOLLAM: Family of Devananda, who was found dead in the Ithikkara river here, has alleged mystery in her death. The child's mother said her daughter was kidnapped and she has never been to the place where the body was found.

"Devananda never went to the temple across the river. She was playing with a shawl but never has she wore a shawl and went out. Never did she went out without telling me. Everything happened within moments", Dhanya said. Devananda's father Pradeep said his comments are the same.

Devananda's grandfather also said his granddaughter was abducted by someone and she would never go near the river voluntarily.

"If she wants to go out, Devananda would ask me or her grandmother. There is a big distance between the child's body and the shawl. She could never cover that distance within that time", he said.

Devananda, who was playing in her house, went missing around 10.30 on the morning of Thursday.

On Friday morning, her body was found in the Ithikkara River, 350 meters away from her house.