UDR says girl died consuming poison in Dharmasthala, autopsy found no trace of poison: SIT probe

Bengaluru

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Unnatural Death Reports (UDRs) registered at Belthangady and Dharmasthala police stations has found a highly suspicious case. Sources in the Home Department revealed limited information to blrpost.com.

According to the source, the SIT found a case registered over ten years ago in which the UDR states that a minor girl died after consuming poison. The SIT has been examining every UDR to identify cases of suspicious nature.

The SIT is also collecting all documents pertaining to such cases. In this particular UDR, the investigation team examined the post-mortem report of the deceased girl. The autopsy did not find any trace of poison in the body recovered in Dharmasthala.

The SIT will now thoroughly probe this case to determine the actual cause of death and any possible murder angle. The source added that this is not the only suspicious case found so far. The team has identified at least five such cases and expects more to surface.

Meanwhile, the SIT has also discovered that 38 bodies buried in Dharmasthala by the panchayat do not have corresponding UDRs registered at the police station. This suggests these burials were conducted illegally without following legal procedures. The SIT will now determine the reasons for these procedural lapses.

The SIT has already questioned panchayat officials and may question them again if necessary.

It should be noted that on November 20, the SIT submitted a complaint report before the Belthangady court after conducting an investigation into C. N. Chinnayya’s complaint. Chinnayya had filed a complaint on July 3 and also gave a statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The Dharmasthala police later registered an FIR (39/2025). The SIT carried out an exhumation and found two skeletal remains. However, Chinnayya claimed that he did not handle the bodies found during the operation and said his first 183 statement was a lie.

Chinnayya further alleged that activists Girish Mattannavar, Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, Jayanth T, and Vittal Gowda forced him to lie and present a skull before the court as evidence of violence. The SIT immediately arrested Chinnayya and booked him under sections related to perjury and forgery on August 23. He later gave another 183 statement. The SIT once again probed this second statement and submitted its report.