Mangaluru – In a fresh development to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, the sister of Padmalatha, who died under suspicious circumstances 38 years ago, has formally requested the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reopen her case.
Indravathi, a resident of Nelyadi, visited the SIT office on Monday with her family to lodge a written complaint. She recounted that her sister, then a second PU student at SDM College, Ujire, went missing on December 22, 1986, after arriving in Dharmasthala. Her decomposed body was discovered near the Neriya stream on February 17, 1987.
Indravathi stated that their late father, Devananda, a CPI(M) leader, had relentlessly campaigned for justice, alleging abduction, rape, and murder. The case had triggered public outrage, leading the government at the time to order a COD probe. The matter was even raised in the state assembly, with then minister Rachaiah visiting the family home in Boliyar to promise justice.
However, Indravathi says the investigation failed to hold the culprits accountable and the case was eventually closed. The family, refusing cremation, buried Padmalatha’s remains in the hope of a future inquiry.
In her plea, Indravathi urged the SIT to exhume the body, re-examine forensic evidence, and deliver long-denied justice. She has also volunteered to serve as a witness in the reopened investigation.