During Covid lockdown men from ‘far away’ districts died in Dharmasthala, Bahubali betta

The body of an unidentified male, aged between 20 and 40, was found on April 8, 2020 at Bahubali Betta

Bengaluru 

The documents pertaining to Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) show that even during the strict COVID-19 lockdown, men from Mysuru and Uttara Kannada districts died in Dharmasthala. It should be noted that travel and all non-essential work were banned during the lockdown.

India’s nationwide COVID-19 lockdown was implemented in four phases during 2020. Phase 1 began on March 25 and continued until April 14, lasting 21 days. Phase 2 followed from April 15 to May 3, extending for 19 days, during which Karnataka and several other states recommended continuation and adhered to national guidelines. Phase 3 lasted from May 4 to May 17, spanning 14 days. The final phase, Phase 4, ran from May 18 to May 31 for another 14 days. These sequential lockdowns aimed to curb the rapid spread of the coronavirus and manage the emerging public health crisis. Then Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yediyurapa further extended the lockdown until June 7. Dharmasthala village is also part of Karnataka and India, according to revenue and administrative records.

Lockdown timeline

• Phase 1: March 25–April 14, 2020 (21 days).
• Phase 2: April 15–May 3, 2020 (19 days). Karnataka and other states recommended an extension and followed the national guidelines.
• Phase 3: May 4–May 17, 2020 (14 days).
• Phase 4: May 18–May 31, 2020 (14 days).
• Phase 5: June 1 to June 7, 2020

On April 8, 2020, Dharmasthala police registered UDR No. 17/2020. The body of an unidentified male, aged between 20 and 40, was found on the same day the UDR was registered. The body was found hanging at Bahubali Betta. It is also mentioned that he may have died by suicide between March 7, 2020, and April 8, 2020. Bahubali Betta is frequented by devotees, and if he had died before March 25, 2020 (the day lockdown commenced), why did no one notice the body, and why was it reported only during the lockdown when no one was visiting the temple? 

It is intriguing that during the peak lockdown and fear of COVID-19, the body was discovered, while no one reported the death earlier when there was no lockdown (if he had died before March 25).

Another UDR (No. 19/2020) was registered on May 15, 2020, after a man identified as Sanjeeva (47) died from a fall. The UDR mentions that Sanjeeva fell from a building while replacing a roof sheet near a car museum. The car museum is run by the Dharmasthala Temple Administration. He was a resident of Karwar in Uttara Kannada district. This raises the question of why Sanjeeva was working during the lockdown and who instructed him to do so.

Six days later, on May 21, another man identified as Putte Gowda (59) of H.D. Kote in Mysuru was found dead in the forest area of Dharmasthala village. UDR No. 20/2020 states that his body was found hanging. How did this man travel from H.D. Kote to Dharmasthala when all district borders were closed and monitored? Why was he allowed by the police? What was the purpose of his travel? Why did he venture into the deep forest in the temple town?