A young priest was discovered deceased in the pond of a temple in Kerala's Malappuram district on Thursday morning, sending shockwaves through the local community.
Tragic Discovery at Moolekkavu Bhagavathi Temple
The incident occurred at the Moolekkavu Bhagavathi temple located in Varanakkara near Thuvvakkad. The deceased has been identified as Sarath, aged 33. He hailed from Manapparambil House in Paravur, Ernakulam district.
Sarath had begun his duties at this temple roughly four months prior to the tragic event and was living in a residence close to the temple premises.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Discovery
According to available information, Sarath had carried out the evening rituals as usual on Wednesday and subsequently locked up the temple. The alarm was raised on Thursday morning when he failed to open the temple gates at the expected time.
Concerned fellow staff members initiated a search. This led to the grim discovery around 6:30 AM, when they found Sarath's body in the temple pond.
Upon receiving the alert, fire and rescue services personnel from Tirur rushed to the spot. They successfully retrieved the body from the water.
Police Investigation and Postmortem
The local law enforcement, Kalpakanchery police, have registered a case to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death. The exact cause is yet to be determined.
Sarath's body has been transferred to the Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital where a postmortem examination will be conducted. The procedure is expected to provide crucial details about the time and cause of death.
Authorities are likely to investigate all angles, including the possibility of an accident or foul play, as part of their standard procedure. The community awaits answers as the police continue their inquiry into this unsettling incident.
