A woman who was reported to have gone missing from Thiruvananthapuram was found dead, along with a couple who hailed from Kottayam, under mysterious circumstances in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.
The deceased persons have been identified as Arya of Melethumele, Vattiyurkavu; her friend Devi of Moonnamoodu, Vattiyurkavu, and her husband Naveen Thomas of Meenadom in Kottayam.
The trio were reportedly found dead in a hotel room in Ziro in Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh. They were apparently found to have bled profusely with their wrists slit. Cuts were also found on various parts of their bodies, according to the Thiruvananthapuram City police.
Arya, who used to teach French at a private school in the city, was reported to have gone missing on March 26. A case was registered by the Vattiyurkavu police the next day on the basis of a complaint by her parents.
The police’s efforts to trace the location of Arya’s mobile phone turned futile after the device was switched off near Parottukonam. However, it later came to light that Arya had gone to Guwahati with her close friend Devi, who had taught German in the same school until a few years ago, and Naveen, who used to run a bakery. The police had detected transactions made to book the flight tickets using the mobile phone.
Soon, Thiruvananthapuram City police alerted the Arunachal Pradesh police, and the latter’s subsequent search led them to the scene of the deaths.
The tragic news was conveyed to Devi’s father, noted wildlife photographer Balan Madhavan around 2 p.m. The bodies were found in the room that was locked from within. The police also reportedly recovered a suicide note. Naveen’s browsing history allegedly revealed searches made on the concept of afterlife.
Cultural activist Soorya Krishnamoorthy, who was among those who visited Mr. Madhavan on hearing the news, said the youngsters are suspected to have fallen prey to black magic. He expressed concern about the affinity towards such cult practices among well-educated people such as the deceased trio. He added both Devi and Naveen are Ayurvedic doctors by qualification, but had opted for other careers by choice.
District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) C.H. Nagaraju told mediapersons that a team of the city police will head for Arunachal Pradesh to gather information regarding the case. A comprehensive inquiry will be undertaken in the case.
(Suicide prevention helpline: DISHA – 1056, 0471-2552056)
