By Express News Service

THRISSUR: The body of a 17-year-old girl was recovered in the wee hours on Wednesday from the Malakkapara forest, bordering Thrissur district in Kerala, allegedly murdered by her 26-year-old friend after the girl rejected his love.

Eva Antony alias Gopika, a plus-two-student, was found dead by the police in the forest after an extensive search at midnight on Tuesday. The body was found at around 1.30 am on Wednesday.

Police have taken the accused, identified as Safar, into custody, for the murder.

According to Malakkapara police, Safar who worked in the Hyundai service centre had taken the car for home delivery after service. Instead of delivering it to the owner, he took the girl along with him into forests in Malakkapara."

The police had received complaints of a missing vehicle and traced it to Malakkapara.

The police who inspected the vehicle at Valpparai check-post found blood stains inside the car. Upon interrogation, Safar revealed that he stabbed the girl using a knife and dumped the body in the forest at Varattuppara about 15 km away from Malakkapara.

Meanwhile, the family of the girl based at Maradu in Ernakulam shared that Safar had threatened to murder the girl as she denied his love, though they were in friendship.