Evicted From Home Kerala Family Goes Missing On Day Of Moving Into New Residence Bodies Recovered From River

A couple died by suspected suicide along with their two young children after struggling with poverty and homelessness despite weeks of attempts by police to arrange shelter and support for them in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, officials said.

The deceased were identified as Narayanan, 45, a native of Elavanchery in Palakkad, his wife Viji, 43, who was visually impaired, and their two minor children.

The family had lived in a rented house near Kothamangalam for the past year, but had been missing since Thursday. Their bodies were recovered from different stretches of the Muvattupuzha river over the last two days.

The family is suspected to have taken the extreme step nearly one and a half weeks after they were evicted from their rented house under the Kothamangalam police station limits. Since the eviction, police had been providing them temporary shelter, food and other essentials while trying to arrange permanent accommodation, officials said.

On Thursday, when the family was scheduled to move into a new rented house identified by the police, they went missing. As police launched a search, CCTV footage showed Viji walking behind Narayanan, along with their eight-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, near a restaurant in Piravom.

The family was also seen near a church in the town.

According to Kothamangalam Station House Officer K R Prasanth Kumar, the family had approached the police around six weeks ago after being asked to vacate their rented house.

“We were trying to bring them back from their situation. At first, we identified a rehabilitation centre run by an NGO. But it was exclusively for women.

Then, police arranged a place on daily rent. We promised them we would find a permanent house; until then, they were assured of every support. Policemen at the station mobilised money for their food and clothes,” he said.The SHO said police searched for accommodation close to Cheruvatoor, where the couple’s children studied in a primary school.

“We took the father around various locations in our police vehicle to find a suitable house. Finally, we had identified a house, which Narayanan also liked. On Thursday, we had gone to take them to the new house, but they were missing from the rented shelter. The house owner told us they had gone to a church for prayer,” said the officer.

K U Shameer, a panchayat member from Cheruvatoor, said the family had lived in the village for the past year but had not been covered under any government or panchayat welfare scheme.

“Unfortunately, the family did not figure in any of the social welfare schemes of the state government or panchayat. Every morning, the couple would take the children to school and go somewhere. By the end of the school day, they would return to pick up the children. We don’t know how the couple survived,” said Shameer.

Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More