Skeleton in water tank: Police waiting for Avinash's relatives; aluminium ladder and broken plastic stool adding to mystery

POTHENCODE: Police are unable to identify the skeleton found in the disused water tank on Karyavattom University campus.

The investigation is centred on the driving license of Avinash, a native of Thalassery, obtained from the spot. The investigation team is waiting for Avinash's parents for the DNA test. Relatives in Chennai have not arrived. Since 2017, the relatives have no information about Avinash, who worked in the IT sector. The police are of the preliminary conclusion that the skeleton belongs to Avinash, which can only be confirmed through DNA testing.

Adding to the mystery was the discovery of a dated aluminium ladder, a broken plastic stool and the remains of a rope tied from the top down in the manhole where the skeleton was found.

The skeleton of a 29-year-old man was found in a ground-level water tank that had not been used for 35 years. The 18 feet deep water tank has six manholes. Two of these were lying open. A skeleton lay beneath one of these. It is also possible that he was killed and hanged.

The water authority had set up a tank and pump house years ago to bring water to the campus. Later there was a dispute with the university over the location. Once the confirmation came that the place belonged to the university, the university authorities blocked the front by building a wall.