MUNNAR: The death of an eight-year-old girl in Gundumala tea estate was not of choking. She is suspected to have been murdered. The class three student of a private school in Munnar was found dead last Monday. She was found lying after the rope got knotted and choked her. According to police, the girl's death was caused by accidental strangulation.

The probe got strengthened after the post mortem report mentioned that she had been sexually abused many times. Following that, Idukki district police chief T Narayanan reached the place and examined the body. The police formed an 11-member panel led by Munnar DySP M Ramesh Kumar. An office was opened by the police near the victim’s house. The mobile phones of many were examined with the help of the cyber cell. Almost 50 people were questioned related to the incident.