Youth arrested on charge of 18-year-old girl’s murder in Keralam’s Idukki district

The death of an 18-year-old girl, whose charred remains were found near the Pambla dam in Idukki, was a case of murder, the police have said.

The Karimanal police had found the body on Wednesday (October 14, 2026). The police then arrested 19-year-old Nishanth, a resident of Vattappara, near Rajakkad, here, in connection with the murder. Idukki District Police Chief A. Naseem said the victim was a resident of Bodinayakanur in Tamil Nadu.

According to Mr. Naseem, the two got to know each on social media and the girl’s parents had earlier lodged a complaint with the police regarding the relationship. Both the families later agreed that the two would marry once Nishanth turned 21.

“Later, he blocked her number and severed contact. The girl recently called him from another phone and insisted on meeting,” Mr. Naseem said. “He asked her to come to Poopara on October 11 to discuss their marriage plans. An argument broke out, during which he led her into a cardamom plantation and pushed her off an embankment,” he added.

The police said the girl fell on a rock after which the accused struck her with a stone and strangled her with a mobile phone charging cable to ensure she was dead. “That night, he transported the body to Pambla, doused it in petrol, and set it on fire. The charred body was later discovered in an isolated area near the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) quarters at Pambla dam,” the official added.

Missing-person complaint

Following the girl’s disappearance, her family had registered a missing-person complaint with the Bodinayakanur police in Tamil Nadu. “Based on the condition and position of the body, the Keralam Police suspected foul play and shared the details with their Tamil Nadu counterparts. The Tamil Nadu police coordinated with us to solve the case,” Mr. Naseem said.

The police arrested the accused within 12 hours of confirming that the death was a homicide. Following a post-mortem examination, the victim’s final rites were performed in Keralam, the official added.