Kochi, June 28 (IANS) The recovery of the body of six-year-old Anna from the Muvattupuzha river on Sunday brought a tragic end to the search for a family of four who are suspected to have died by suicide after jumping from the Piravom bridge in Kerala’s Ernakulam district two days ago.

Anna’s body, the last to be recovered, was found by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel near the Excise Kadavu area, a few metres downstream from the bridge and close to the spot from where the family is believed to have jumped.

Police said all available evidence currently points to it being a case of suicide, though investigations are continuing to establish the exact circumstances behind the deaths.

The deceased have been identified as Narayanan, his wife Bijimol, their six-year-old daughter Anna and their two-year-old son.

The family, originally from Kothamangalam, had reportedly been living in rented accommodation in recent months.

According to the Piravom Police, CCTV footage from the area showed the family having lunch at the nearby Aishwarya Hotel before walking towards the Piravom bridge.

While the cameras captured them leaving the restaurant and heading to the bridge, there was no surveillance footage of the actual incident.

The tragedy came to light on Friday when a local fisherman spotted the body of the couple’s two-year-old son floating in the river and alerted nearby residents, who informed the police.

Bijimol’s body was recovered shortly afterwards from the same area, while Narayanan’s body was found on Saturday.

Anna remained missing until her body was recovered on Sunday morning, ending the three-day search operation.

Following the inquest, Anna’s body was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital at Kalamassery for post-mortem examination.

The bodies of the other three family members are also being kept at the hospital mortuary.

Police have begun recording statements from relatives of both Narayanan and Bijimol as part of the investigation.

Preliminary inquiries suggest the couple had been facing longstanding marital problems, with the Kothamangalam Police having intervened in their disputes earlier.

Investigators also suspect the family was under financial stress due to mounting debts.

Officials said Bijimol had reportedly been estranged from her family and had been living separately for some time.

However, the exact reason that drove the family to the suspected suicide is yet to be established.

The Piravom Police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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