Chottanikkara girl’s death: police yet to confirm Korean friend link

The Chottanikkara police probing the death of a 16-year-old girl are yet to confirm the veracity of the content of a purported note in which she had mentioned her grief over the death of a Korean friend as the reason for taking her own life.

The girl was found dead in a pond formed at an abandoned quarry at Kakkad on Tuesday morning. According to the note found in her school bag, she took the extreme step as she was unable to bear the grief over the death of a Korean man she had met on social media. The note said the man was killed in an accident on January 19.

A post-mortem examination, according to police sources, confirmed drowning as the reason for her death.

The police have sought technical assistance to unlock the girl’s mobile phone in a bid to get details of her online communications.

“We are yet to confirm if what the girl said in the note is true. We have to verify if it is an imaginary story or not. Also, we are probing if the girl was duped by someone who created a fake ID on social media,” a police officer said.

The police will be recording the statements of the girl’s friends. The police have reportedly learned from the girl’s relatives that she had an interest in K-pop. The Chottanikkara police have registered the case as an unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

(Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling any of the following numbers: DISHA – 1056, 0471-2552056, State’s health helpline 104, Maithri – 0484-2540530, Thanal Suicide Prevention Centre – 0495-2760000.)