Student nun’s death in Thiruvalla: Kerala Women’s Commission seeks report from police

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Women’s Commission has sought a report from police over the death of a nun student in Thiruvalla on Thursday. It was based on media reports that Commission member Dr Shahida Kamal sought the report from district police superintend.

The 21-year-old novice was found dead in a well at a convent at Paliyekkara under mysterious circumstances on Thursday. Divya P John, daughter of John Philipose and Kochumol of Thadathemalayil house at Chunkappara near Mallappally, was a fifth-year novice undergoing training to become a nun at Baselian Convent of the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church.

Though the initial post-mortem report recorded that Divya died from drowning, Shahida Kamal said that a comprehensive investigation would be conducted to clear the mystery surrounding the death of Divya.

The police had on Thursday registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation.

It came to the notice of convent inmates after they heard a splash sound near the well around noon. When they looked inside, they saw Divya drowning. Fire and Rescue Services was called in and she was lifted out of the well.

Though she was rushed to Pushpagiri Medical College Hospital, the doctors declared him brought dead, according to the police.
A team headed by Tiruvalla DySp Umesh Kumar sealed Divya’s room in the convent and collected details about the chain of events from other inmates.

However, after the preliminary investigation, the police suspect that she might have committed suicide or accidentally fell into the well while trying to pull out a bucket of water.