Years of relentless efforts by Reshma’s family, including a 2021 habeas corpus plea and CBI probe demands, kept the case alive until the Crime Branch took charge in December 2024 under SP Prajeesh Thottathil
Published May 17, 2025 | 5:03 PM ⚊ Updated May 17, 2025 | 5:03 PM
Kerala police crack 15-year-old missing case, confirm murder of dalit woman through DNA evidence
Synopsis: Kerala Police have cracked a 15-year-old missing case, confirming the murder of 18-year-old Dalit woman Reshma through DNA testing of a recovered bone fragment. Reshma vanished in 2010 after traveling to Kanhangad for teacher training. Her disappearance remained unresolved for years until the arrest of a longtime suspect, bringing long-awaited answers in a case marked by delays and persistent advocacy
In a major breakthrough, Kerala Police have confirmed the murder of an 18-year-old Dalit woman who went missing in 2010, following the arrest of a long-suspected perpetrator and DNA confirmation from a recovered bone fragment.
Reshma, a resident of Balamthode in Kasaragod district, was last seen on 6 June, 2010, in Kanhangad city, where she had gone to pursue a teacher training course after completing her plus two studies.
Her disappearance remained a mystery for over a decade, with limited progress in the investigation — until now.
The case was cracked after the arrest of Biju Paulose, a civil contractor from Bappunkayam in Panathur, by a special investigation team led by Crime Branch IG P Prakash.
Paulose, who had been accused for years by Reshma’s family and Dalit rights groups, is now formally charged with sexual assault and murder.
According to police sources, Paulose had been in a live-in relationship with Reshma since her school days, while concealing his marriage and family.
Her father, MC Raman, had filed a complaint in January 2011 alleging that Paulose had lured her with false promises of a job and marriage.
Initially treated as a missing person’s case, the investigation saw repeated delays and jurisdictional transfers — from Ambalathara Police to Bekal Police, and later to the Crime Branch on High Court orders.
In earlier police statements, Paulose had allegedly admitted to killing Reshma and dumping her body in a river, but the lack of physical evidence had stalled legal action.
Years of persistence by Reshma’s family, including a habeas corpus petition filed in 2021 and demands for a CBI probe, kept the case in the spotlight.
The turning point came after the Crime Branch officially took over the case in December 2024, under the leadership of Kannur SP Prajeesh Thottathil.
A bone fragment recovered from an undisclosed location was sent for forensic testing — and DNA results confirmed the remains belonged to Reshma.
Authorities are continuing their interrogation of Paulose and are searching for the exact site where the murder took place and the body was disposed of. A formal police statement is expected shortly.
Reshma’s case, long emblematic of systemic failures and delayed justice in crimes against Dalit women, may finally see closure — thanks to relentless advocacy by her family and renewed investigative efforts
(Edited by Ananya Rao with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
