The bodies of a mother and child were found in the Muvattupuzha River near Piravom on Friday afternoon. Locals found the bodies near Kalamboor Bridge, following which the Piravom Police registered a case of unnatural death.

The woman was identified on Saturday as Biji, a native of Muvattupuzha. However, the identity of the child, believed to be between two and three years old, is yet to be ascertained. “Their relatives from Muvattupuzha identified the woman on Saturday morning,” the police told Onmanorama. “The woman had been estranged from her family and had been living separately for some time, so we do not have further details about the circumstances surrounding her death. The child’s identity also could not be confirmed,” the police added.

“All we know is that the woman and the child had been living in a rented house in Kothamangalam for some time,” the police said.

The child’s body was first spotted near Kalamboor Kavu Devi Temple, close to Kalamboor Bridge, between 2 pm and 3 pm on Friday. “A local fisherman first noticed the child’s body and informed another resident, who then alerted the police,” the police said. “The woman’s body was found shortly afterwards near the same spot,” they added.

Police said it was initially suspected that the woman, believed to be between 35 and 40 years old, and the toddler were natives of Kothamangalam. However, further inquiries revealed that they had only been residing there after the woman became estranged from her family.

The bodies were shifted to Piravom Taluk Hospital, where the woman’s relatives arrived on Saturday morning to identify her. With the identification process now complete, police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“As of now, it is not clear whether the deaths were caused by drowning. Further examination and a detailed investigation are required to establish the exact cause of death,” an officer told Onmanorama.