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The Hindu
7 days ago
- The Hindu
Dharmasthala burials: No skeletal remains found at site no. 13
The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the complaint of burial of over 100 bodies, on Tuesday carried out digging on a part of the large site no. 13 in Dharmasthala, but did not find any skeletal remains. The digging in other parts of the site will continue on Wednesday. The excavation at site no. 13, which is among the 13 'burial' sites identified by the complainant, was a complex one, as this plain land close to the vented dam has seen a lot of changes over the years. Loads of construction debris have also been dumped. Hence, the SIT had decided to scan the site area using ground penetrating radar (GPR), to get a clear map of the contours of the land beneath and detect substances lying inside. The site was scanned using the GPR for a few minutes on Monday. On Tuesday, workers cleared shrubs grown on site no. 13 and also from the adjoining site. Then the GPR, mounted on a drone, was used to scan the whole area. From 3 p.m., an earth mover was used to remove mud from one spot. After reaching about 10 ft., water started to seep in, and the personnel used pumpsets to pump out slushy water. The excavation ended around 7 p.m. after digging for about 18 ft. The personnel used inflatable balloon lights while mud was filled back at the place. The excavation on Tuesday was carried out in the presence of the complainant; Stella Verghese, Assistant Commissioner, Puttur Sub Division, and SIT SPs Jitendra Kumar Dayama and C.A. Simon. SIT chief and Director General of Police Pronab Mohanty briefly visited the spot on Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, a team of police officers from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited site no. 13 on Tuesday. The officers of NHRC, which has registered a suo-motu case on reports related to mass burial complaint, on Monday first visited the SIT office in Belthangady, and then the Dharmathala gram panchayat office and the site close to Bahubali hills, which the SIT had excavated on August 9. Ruled out Sources in the SIT ruled out reinvestigation into the death of PU student Padmalatha in February 1987, as sought by her sister Indravati. The Corps of Detectives (CoD) had investigated the case, and a 'C' report stating that it is undetected was filed before the jurisdictional court. The case can be reinvestigated only if there is an order from the court, sources said. Indravati had given a representation to SIT on August 11 to reinvestigate the case.
Hindustan Times
12-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Another complaint filed amid Dharmasthala probe
Bengaluru: Thirty-eight years after the death of a pre-university student in Dharmasthala, her sister has asked the special investigation team (SIT) to reopen the case and exhume the remains to aid a fresh investigation. Dakshina Kannada: Security personnel stand guard near the site of the alleged mass burial, at Dharmasthala, in Dakshina Kannada district. (PTI PHOTO) Indravati, a resident of Nelyadi, appeared before the SIT on Monday, claiming her sister was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. She said Padmalatha, daughter of the late Devananda, was a II PUC student at SDM College, Ujire, when she went missing on December 22, 1986. 'Thirty-eight years ago, my sister Padmalatha, who was studying in the second PUC at SDM College. She went to college on December 22, 1986 at Ujire, returned to Dharmasthala and went missing in the evening. Her decomposed body was found on the side of a stream on February 17, 1987,' her petition states. She recalled that her father, a CPI(M) leader, led several protests seeking justice, prompting the government to hand the matter to the Corps of Detectives (COD). The case was discussed in the legislative assembly, and then Home Minister Rachaiah visited their home, assuring action. The probe was later closed as 'undetected.' Calling it a likely case of organised crime, Indravati said the family chose burial over cremation to preserve the possibility of future forensic testing. She has now asked the SIT to exhume the remains and expressed readiness to testify if the case is reopened. Meanwhile, the SIT, currently investigating the Dharmasthala mass burial case, is also preparing to deploy Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at site number 13, one of several locations marked by a complainant. Officials said the technology arrived in Belthangady on Monday and will be used on Tuesday to check for possible human remains without immediate digging. 'This is a non-invasive method that can give us a clearer idea of what lies underground before we begin digging. Spot 13 has posed challenges because of its location near a dam, multiple power lines, and the main road. The GPR will help us decide if exhumation here is even possible,' an officer who did not want to be named explained. Investigators have dug at 15 marked spots so far, recovering human remains only at spot 6. At another location near spot 11 — now reclassified as spot 14 — a skull and bones were found on the surface. The Dharmasthala mass burial case stems from serious allegations made by a former sanitation worker, who claimed he was ordered to bury multiple bodies near the river between 1995 and 2014, including those of women and girls who he believed had been sexually abused. He has guided officials from multiple government departments to specific locations, offering detailed descriptions of each site. A complaint was lodged on July 3 and an FIR was registered a day later.
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Time of India
Woman calls for SIT probe into sister's 38-yr-old death case
Mangaluru: Nearly four decades after the mysterious death of a college student in Dharmasthala, her sister has approached the Special Investigation Team (SIT) seeking a fresh probe and the exhumation of the victim's remains in a renewed bid to uncover the truth. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The SIT was recently appointed by the govt to probe the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala Indravati, a resident of Nelyadi, appeared before the SIT seeking a fresh probe into the death of her sister, Padmalatha. In her complaint, Indravati, daughter of the late CPM leader Devananda, stated that her sister, then a II PUC student at SDM College, Ujire, left for college on Dec 22, 1986. She was last seen in Dharmasthala before going missing. On Feb 17, 1987, her decomposed body was found near Neriya stream. Alleging that her sister was kidnapped, raped, and murdered, she recalled how her father led a series of agitations demanding justice, following which the govt ordered a investigation by Corps of Detectives (CoD). The case was even raised in the legislative assembly. The then minister Rachaiah visited their home and assured action, she said. However, the case was marked "undetected," leaving the family with no closure. Calling it a suspected case of organised crime, Indravati said the family chose not to cremate Padmalatha's remains but to bury them, hoping that one day the truth would emerge. She urged the SIT to exhume the body and conduct a fresh investigation, assuring her willingness to testify in the matter. CPM leaders were also present. Meanwhile, the SIT probing the alleged Dharmasthala mass burials has decided to deploy ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology at site number 13, located near the Nethravati bathing ghat. The complainant-witness on July 28 guided the SIT team to multiple spots in the area, and 13 locations are believed to have been marked for further examination. A senior SIT officer told TOI the GPR equipment was brought to the site on Monday and calibrated by an expert team.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Time of India
Woman, 50, elopes with grandnephew, marries him
Lucknow: In the quiet lanes of Pratappur Belwaria, a Dalit hamlet nestled in Ambedkarnagar district, a love story unfolded that rattled tradition, defied labels, and sent an entire village into a tailspin. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A 50-year-old woman from Ambedkarnagar eloped with her 30-year-old neighbour—her husband's grandnephew—after marrying him at a local temple. The woman's husband, devastated by the betrayal, declared her "dead" to the family, vowing to perform her last rites as a symbolic closure. The incident unfolded in Pratappur Belwaria village under the jurisdiction of Baskhari police station. Chandrashekhar (55), the woman's husband, revealed that the woman, Indravati, was involved in an illicit relationship with his grandnephew Azad, who is 20 years her junior. The two reportedly tied the knot at a temple three days ago before fleeing to Rohtak, Haryana. "She's dead to me. I will perform her terahvin and pind daan. She has brought disgrace to the family. She didn't think about me or our children," Chandrashekhar said. He accused the couple of plotting to poison the entire family before fleeing. Chandrashekhar and Indravati were married for 30 years and have four children together—two sons and two daughters. Indravati's daughters have been staying indoors since the incident, fearing social backlash. Villagers have socially boycotted both families in protest of the relationship. Last Sunday, as villagers gathered for their usual afternoon routines, the news of their elopement spread like wildfire. They solemnised their marriage at a temple in the village, leaving behind stunned family members and a flurry of unanswered questions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The village elders convened an emergency panchayat, and both families were swiftly boycotted. An informal decree was passed: Anyone caught associating with the couple would be fined Rs 5,000. Ambedkarnagar superintendent of police Keshav Kumar told TOI that no complaint in connection with the case has landed at the local police station as yet. "Legally, both of them are adults," he said.
