Thought to be dead, mother-daughter duo makes a surprise return after 4 days

CHENNAI: Nearly four days after a 35-year-old woman and her seven-year-old daughter were thought to have committed suicide by jumping into the Kosasthalaiyar river in Tiruvallur district, they returned to the village on Friday leaving the family members, neighbours and police baffled.

V Nirosha of Punnambakkam village, who took to selling flowers for livelihood after her husband’s demise four years ago, went missing along with her second daughter on November 15. Her two-wheeler was found parked near a check dam across the Kosasthalaiyar river in Thamaraipakkam and the footwear of the mother-daughter duo next to the vehicle.

Nirosha’s mother-in-law G Kumari, who searched for them, came to know that the two last visited the Selliyamman temple nearby the check dam and complained to Vengal police the next day, raising a suspicion that they could have jumped into the river to end their lives. “Nirosha had observed her husband’s death anniversary two weeks ago. She also had her husband’s photo as WhatsApp status saying ‘Miss You Mama’ which raised the suicide suspicion,” said police.

While police and personnel from Fire and Rescue Services launched a search for the missing mother and daughter, the operation was abandoned since they could not be traced even after 48 hours.

Meanwhile, Nirosha and her daughter returned to the village on Friday.

After Vengal police inquired Nirosha, she said she had left for her uncle’s house in Tirumazhisai with her daughter and was shocked to read about their possible suicide in the newspapers. “She never had such intentions, but circumstances made everyone believe so,” said an officer.

Police closed the complaint taking a written statement from her. Nirosha has an elder daughter aged nine who is in the custody of her parents.