KOCHI: Two years have passed since the body of Mishel Shaji, a 19-year-old aspiring chartered accountant was found floating ion the backwaters near Kochi Wharf. But, there seems to be no headway in the investigation and the family is yet to recover from the trauma.While the Police have vehemently tried to establish the suicide angle, the family has gathered volumes of evidence to prove it was a case of murder.  

Desperate to see justice is delivered, her family waits for the long arm of law to catch the perpetrators of the crime. "From the start, we were certain this was not a suicide, even when the police officers thrust the idea upon us. We have reasons to believe she was murdered. Even after we expressed our apprehensions in this regard, the Police were reluctant to proceed with investigation in that direction," said Shaji Varghese, Mishel's father.

Marks of assault, including fingerprints, were evident on Mishel's body when it was recovered, but no mention of these were made in the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Meena KS, Professor, and HOD of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Ernakulam.

"On March 7, 2017, we were first told that the post-mortem would take place at the Ernakulam General Hospital. All of a sudden, when all of us, including a forensic medicine specialist, was waiting at the hospital, they changed plans and shifted the body to Medical College Hospital, citing non-availability of forensic doctors at the General Hospital," said Shaji.

"We were not in a state to challenge the decisions of the authorities at that moment, but everything seems to have been a well-scripted play when we look back," said Sam Zachariah, Mishel's uncle.The family members alleged that the statements recorded by police officials and the original statements of Mishel's friends and witnesses were wrong.

"The statements of Devapriya, Mishel's friend, is recorded as Mishel was seen leaving without any belongings from the hostel to Church, but it is no so. The CCTV footage that we have collected clearly shows she took a handbag along with her which the officials failed to record. If one closely analyse the inquest report prepared by the police, it can expose several lapses and shortcomings," said Sam. Mishel's mother Saliamma Shaji Varghese is inconsolable. "If only God would show us what happened to her," she wails. Confident that God will ensure justice, she visits churches and prays to all the saints to bring the culprits to book.

The Justice for Mishel Action Council has, meanwhile, criticised the investigating officials for failing to consider the serious lapses that are evident in the case. Not recovering her mobile phone and the fibre strap watch that she was wearing, ignoring the dark blue scars on either side of her nose and arms and not identifying the two men who had allegedly followed her on a motorcycle from  St Antony’s Church at Kaloor, are some of these.

"We do not doubt the efficiency of the Kerala Police. They have proved their mettle in many cases, but we doubt that there are certainly high profile criminals involved, who are forcing the officials to stage-manage the investigation," said Siju Joseph, ward member of Elanji Panchayat and member of the Action Council. Mishel's family remains hopeful that the Kerala High Court will consider the appeal submitted seeking a CBI probe in the case.