The body of a six-year-old girl, who went missing from her home in Kollam district of Kerala on Thursday, was found in a river near her residence on Friday morning.
Divers recovered the body of Devananda from the the Ithikkara river that flows close to her home in Elavoor. Devananda, also known as Ponnu, was a student of first standard at Saraswathi Vidya Nikethan School at Vakkanadu, Kollam.
Police and Fire and Rescue personnel had been searching for Devananda after she went missing on Thursday.
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Social media too was abuzz with stories on the efforts to trace her. Many celebrities, including actors Mammootty, Mohanlal and Kunchacko Boban, had shared Devananda's photograph, urging people to help find the child.
Devananda was at home when her mother Dhanya went to wash clothes. When Devananda followed her mother to the wash room, she was asked to remain in the house and take care of her three-month-old brother who was sleeping. The door was unlocked.
However, when Dhanya returned after 15 minutes, Devananda was nowhere to be seen. Following this, Dhanya searched the neighbourhood but to no avail.
Dhanya's parents were also away at work when the girl went missing. Devananda’s father, Pradeep, works overseas.
The probe into the case was led by a special team, headed by Chathanoor SP George Koshy.
(This story originally appeared in onmanorama)
