Overview
- The January 16 deaths were initially logged as an unnatural death after the father was found hanging and his six-year-old daughter was found unresponsive in their rented home.
- The postmortem concluded the child was sexually assaulted and poisoned, with police saying the abuse appeared to have occurred over about a year.
- Following the autopsy, Kochi police added sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and intensified the probe.
- Officers plan to record the mother’s statement again, question relatives and the child’s teachers, and analyze CCTV to trace any visitors to the house that day.
- The mother told police she was unaware of any abuse and reported a financial dispute with her husband on the day before the deaths, with officials noting recent job loss and money strain in the household.