Kerala Family Found Dead Weeks After Eviction Left Them Homeless; Suicide Suspected

Last Updated:June 29, 2026, 07:13 IST

Kothamangalam Station House Officer KR Prasanth Kumar said the family had approached the police nearly six weeks ago after receiving an eviction notice from their landlord.

A family of four in Kerala’s Ernakulam district allegedly died by suicide after battling poverty and homelessness, despite weeks of efforts by police to secure shelter and assistance for them, officials said.

The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Narayanan, a native of Elavanchery in Palakkad, his 43-year-old visually impaired wife Viji, and their two minor children.

For the past year, the family had been staying in a rented house near Kothamangalam before they went missing on Thursday. Their bodies were found in different parts of the Muvattupuzha River over the past two days.

Officials suspect the family took the extreme step around one and a half weeks after they were evicted from their rented accommodation under the Kothamangalam police station limits. Following the eviction, police had arranged temporary shelter for them and provided food and other essential items while looking for permanent housing.

The family disappeared on Thursday, the same day they were expected to shift to a new rented house arranged by the police. During the search, CCTV footage captured Narayanan walking with Viji, their eight-year-old daughter and four-year-old son near a restaurant in Piravom.

They were also spotted near a church in the town.

Kothamangalam Station House Officer KR Prasanth Kumar said the family had approached the police nearly six weeks ago after receiving an eviction notice from their landlord.

“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. Then, the police arranged a place on a 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 said.

The SHO said officers specifically searched for accommodation near Cheruvatoor so the children could continue attending their 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 the officer.

Cheruvatoor panchayat member KU Shameer said the family had been living in the village for a year but had not benefited from any government or panchayat welfare scheme.

“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.

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