Kochi, February 6: The tragic suicide of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Chottanikkara, near Kochi, has left police and school authorities without clear answers even ten days after her body was discovered in an abandoned granite quarry.
The case has been complicated by an alleged “Korean connection,” which has confused police, teachers, and parents alike. The girl left home stating she was going to school, but later her body was found in a water-filled quarry, raising serious questions about the circumstances of her death.
Identified as Aditya, she was the daughter of Mahesh and Ramya and attended a nearby school. Investigating officials have noted that delays in examining crucial digital evidence and doubts regarding the authenticity of an online account linked to the incident have further shrouded the case in mystery.
A suicide note found in the girl’s school bag indicated that she was deeply affected by the death of a Korean friend she met on Instagram. The note suggested that this emotional turmoil led her to take her own life. She had reportedly connected with this individual on January 1 and learned of their death around January 19.
However, even a week after the incident, police have yet to access or investigate the girl’s mobile phone, raising concerns among educators and the public. Authorities are also suspicious that the Instagram account mentioned in the note may be fake.
Teachers have pointed out that the account had only 12 followers, contradicting claims that it belonged to a popular Korean figure. Educators have expressed concern that many children today could fall victim to online “Korean romance” scams, where fake profiles use the names and images of foreign celebrities to emotionally manipulate teenagers. The suicide note, which spanned nearly two and a half pages, was written in both English and Korean.
In the note, the girl expressed deep sorrow for leaving her parents but also mentioned her inability to cope with the pain of her friend’s alleged death. Police also discovered notes written in Korean in one of her books, which are currently being translated.
Aditya was a first-year student in a lab technician course at Chottanikkara Government Vocational Higher Secondary School. Authorities have stated that the investigation is ongoing, with a deeper focus on cyber and forensic aspects to follow.