Mangaluru – As shocking allegations of mass burials and systemic crimes rock the temple town of Dharmasthala, two unresolved deaths from the past have returned to the spotlight, amplifying calls for a wider investigation into entrenched power structures in the region.
The most haunting case is that of Padmalatha, a college student from Bolyaru village, who went missing on December 22, 1986, after heading to a function in Ujire. Her bound body was discovered 56 days later in the Nethravathi river, yet the CID closed the case as “untraced.” No arrests were ever made.
Her sister, Chandravathi, long convinced her sister was raped and murdered, has now urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the mass burial allegations to reopen the case. “These crimes reduced after my sister’s death, but after the Sowjanya case, they began again,” she said. “We still believe the officers now can uncover the truth.”
Another troubling case comes from Kerala, where Aneesh Joy from Kannur suspects his father, KJ Joy, was murdered in 2018 near Dharmasthala, allegedly over land disputes. Though officially declared a road accident, Aneesh claims his father was threatened by a man representing Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade. He alleges police intimidation and was told not to pursue the case “for his own safety.”
Both families describe a climate of fear and silence, blaming police inaction and political interference. With the SIT in motion, they hope long-suppressed truths will finally be heard—and justice delivered.