Kerala teen missing, found dead; police suspect murder
India
A 16-year-old girl from Malappuram, Kerala, who went missing on January 15 after leaving for school, has sadly been found dead.
Police believe it's a murder case and have detained a minor boy who attended the same school for questioning.
The girl's mother contacted her that evening and the girl answered, saying she would return home soon; the phone was later found to be switched off.
What we know so far
Investigators say the girl was last seen getting off a bus near school around 9:30am.
Her body was discovered in a forested area about 20km away.
Early findings point to strangulation as the cause of death, and a postmortem will check for any signs of sexual assault.
Both teens are minors, so details are being handled carefully by authorities.