Sreenanda, the Class 10 student from Kadambazhipuram, Palakkad, who was missing since Tuesday during a family trip, was found dead on Friday, Onmanorama reported.
The girl’s body was found in a valley near Manikyadhara Waterfalls in the Chandradrona hill ranges in the Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka.
Police in Karnataka said the body was located not far from the spot where she was reported missing. Initial assessment suggests a possible fall from a viewpoint, but officials have not ruled out other possibilities and said the investigation is ongoing.
The area where she went missing is barricaded and has limited access, with only one route leading in and out. Despite this, the circumstances leading to her fall remain unclear. The body was found in a valley area near the waterfall.
A large-scale search operation had been launched after her disappearance. Around 60 teams were deployed in the region, and additional teams were sent to other states as part of the search. Police also examined 240 vehicles that had entered the area on the day she went missing, following suspicions of a possible abduction.
Sreenanda was part of a 40-member group on a family tour. According to relatives, she was last seen near the waterfall after taking photographs. Family members reported her missing when she did not return to the group.
Relatives stated that the location where the body was found had been searched earlier, but no trace was found at that time. They also said the spot is about 150 metres from where she was last seen.
A police team from Palakkad has reached the location to assist the family and coordinate further procedures with the Karnataka police.