'Kunjumol missing, can't find her anywhere,' this was what Ragini, grandmother of 2-year-old Devendu who was found dead in a well, told her neighbours early in the morning on Thursday. Two years ago, they had taken the house on rent from Shylendran, who stays nearby. At around 5.15 am, she rang up Shylendran. His wife answered the call and she told Shylendran that Devendu was missing. "When I reached the house, they didn't seem panicked or emotional. Her mother and grandmother were silent. We all felt something strange, but we don't know what exactly happened," said Shylendran.

It was Ragini who had approached Shylendran regarding the house. They had earlier stayed at Kulaviravilakam near Midannoor, which is around 5 km away from the rented house. The family paid rent promptly, maintained a good relationship with neighbours and other residents, and had no trouble on their side as tenants, said Shylendran. When the body of the girl was retrieved from the well, women from the neighbourhood broke into tears. By then, all the family members were taken to the police station.

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Sunilkumar, a ward member of Kottukalkonam who reached the house in the morning, talked to Devendu's mother Sreethu, and she told him that the child slept with her father while the elder child was with her and her mother. "The message soon spread that the girl was missing. The family appeared strangely calm. When I spoke to Sreethu, she said she was going to the toilet and saw the child sleeping with her father Sreejith. She also heard the child cry, and then she called out to her mother, telling her that the child was crying and asking her to check on her," said Sunilkumar.

The concrete-roofed house has three rooms. One of the rooms in the house looked partially burnt. This was the room where Harikumar, Devendu's maternal uncle, slept. Residents said there was much confusion over where the child actually slept. According to them, Ragini undertook multiple jobs as Anganwadi helper and a cleaner in a temple to take care of the family. "We all are in shock. The family had some financial issues but what actually led to the death of a child is really puzzling. They got along well with the neighbours and other residents," said Sunilkumar.

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