Mishel Shaji case: Death of student takes Kerala by storm; family, actors seek justice, CM orders Crime Branch probe

December 16, 2012 was a wake up call for Indians.
The brutal rape and murder of a Delhi woman sent shock waves across the country and the nation saw an uprising from the common man, a first of its kind in many years. Gang rapes continued to happen in Delhi and in every other state, but ever since the Nirbhaya case, there are millions who have made a choice to not stay silent. The steady rise in women speaking up about facing sexual harassment and campaigns organised by normal people, people who make a living working very hard, both on social networking platforms and on the ground, are proof.
Mishel Shaji Varghese was just an 18-year-old girl. She went missing on March 5, and was last spotted at St Antony's Church in Ernakulam's Kaloor in Kerala that day. The next day, her body was found drowned in Kochi's Willington Island. Preliminary investigation by the Kerala police suggested Mishel committed suicide, but her family believes their strong daughter wouldn't resort to killing herself.
The case that initially did not garner enough attention soon became the most spoken about issue after people on social media campaigned to ensure justice to Mishel's family. Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly became one of the first influential people to call for a thorough investigation through a Facebook post. Other actors followed suit. A week since her death, Mishel Shaji case has now taken the state by storm.

Mishel Shaji Varghese, 18, was a chartered accountancy student. Originally from Ernakulam's Piravom, she was living in a hostel in Kacheripady.
On March 5, Mishel left her hostel and was last spotted alive at St Antony's Church in Kaloor. CCTV footage confirmed this.
Her family filed a man missing case at the Central Police Station after learning Mishel has not returned to her hostel.
Next day morning, Mishel's dead body was found drowned in Willington Island in Kochi. The



post-mortem report said she died due to drowning and reports say there were no suspicious wounds on the body.
The preliminary investigation by Kochi police suggested Mishel committed suicide, but her family believes their daughter is too strong to do that.
Family's stand led to people on social media calling for further investigation. #JusticeForMishel hit the Kerala internet and even movie stars demanded a clearer picture.
An online petition has been filed on Change.org seeking thorough probe on the case. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan ordered an investigation by a special Crime Branch team and assured perpetrators will be severely punished.
Cronin Alexander Baby, Mishel's distant relative, was arrested by the police yesterday night and has been booked for abetment of suicide. Cronin and Mishel are believed to have been in a relationship for the past two years.
Police got a statement from a friend of Mishel who claims to have seen Cronin hitting Mishel. Investigating officers believe the couple were going through a rough patch and that Mishel was to take a final call on their relationship the day she was found dead.
A Malayala Manorama report says Cronin sent 57 messages to Mishel on March 4 and 32 messages the day she went missing. He called Mishel four times on March 4 and six times on March 5.

CELEBRITIES SEEK JUSTICE FOR MISHEL
The Malayalam cinema fraternity had come out in full force against those who were accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a leading south Indian actress, and were then blamed by people for not taking a stance when common people encounter such horrific incidents. Putting an end to double-standard foul cries, young star Nivin Pauly was the first actor to seek justice for Mishel's family through a Facebook post. Saying "our small voices might help and make a world of difference", Niving asked the authorities to "wake up".