Missing Kerala Teen Found Dead; Minor Boy Detained in Murder Investigation

A 14- to 16-year-old girl from Karuvarakundu, Kerala, went missing after leaving for school and was found dead the next day in a forested area near a railway track in Thodiyapulam. Police suspect murder by strangulation, with injuries and tied hands raising concerns of sexual assault. A minor boy, reportedly close to the girl and her schoolmate, is in custody and has reportedly confessed. Investigations and a post-mortem are ongoing.