Authorities in Kerala's Ernakulam district recovered the bodies of a missing family of four from different stretches of the Muvattupuzha river over two days, officials confirmed on June 29, 2026.
The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Narayanan, his visually impaired wife Viji, 43, and their two minor children.
They had been missing since Thursday from a temporary shelter near Kothamangalam.
Local law enforcement had been providing food, essentials, and temporary shelter to the family for nearly one and a half weeks after they were displaced from their rented home, according to police reports.
The family disappeared on the day the Kothamangalam police had scheduled to relocate them into a newly identified rental accommodation, prompting an immediate search operation.
CCTV footage tracked by investigators showed the family walking together near a local restaurant and a church in the town of Piravom prior to their disappearance.
Police Efforts to Support the Family
Kothamangalam Station House Officer K R Prasanth Kumar explained that the family originally approached law enforcement six weeks ago after receiving orders to vacate their residence.
"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," Kumar said.
"Then, the 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 added.
Station personnel specifically searched for housing options close to Cheruvatoor so the couple's children could continue attending their local 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 Kumar.
A local panchayat member from Cheruvatoor, K U Shameer, stated that the family had resided in the village for the past year but lacked integration into any public welfare systems.
"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.
