Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, Sep 21: A major development in the Banglegudde skeletal remains case brought the family of U B Ayyappa into the spotlight. Among the eight sets of bones recovered near the bathing ghat of Netravati river at Dharmasthala, one was identified through an ID card as belonging to 71-year-old U B Ayyappa from Shettigeri village in Virajpet taluk, Kodagu. His son, Jivan, appeared before the SIT office on September 20.

Ayyappa had last contacted his granddaughter after leaving Mysuru hospital on June 18, 2025, before his phone went switched off. His son later lodged a missing complaint at Srimangala police station in Kodagu. Now that his skeletal remains are believed to have been found, SIT has summoned the family. DNA profiling of the remains will be matched with family samples before the bones are formally handed over.

Meanwhile, Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, wanted under the Arms Act, failed to appear before the police on September 20 despite being directed to do so. With only one day left, authorities are expected to move forward with his arrest if he does not present himself at the station by September 21.

Sources said Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi has been evading arrest as the Arms Act carries a seven-year sentence, making bail difficult to secure. Notices pasted outside his residence have also gone unheeded, and efforts are reportedly underway to obtain bail through legal means.

Complaint against Sowjanya’s mother
In another twist, C K Chandru of Dharmasthala submitted a complaint to SIT chief Dr Pranav Mohanty on September 20, accusing Sowjanya’s mother, Kusumavathi, of repeatedly making false and misleading statements on private YouTube channels.

The complaint alleges that despite court clearance given to three individuals—Dheeraj Jain, Mallik Jain and Uday Jain—who were earlier accused in the Sowjanya case, Kusumavathi continues to level baseless charges against them. Chandru also pointed to her March 13, 2025 video, where she claimed her husband, late Chandappa Gowda, was killed with slow poison. The complaint urges SIT to act, terming her allegations “unsubstantiated and damaging to public trust.”

The absence of SIT’s chief investigator, Anucheth, from active probe duties has triggered speculation. Though present during the initial searches, he has been conspicuously missing from later stages of investigation. Reports suggest disagreements between him and SIT head Dr Pranav Mohanty may have kept him away, while political pressure following a BJP rally in Dharmasthala allegedly slowed the pace of the probe.

Meanwhile, videos of accused persons casually recording themselves during SIT proceedings have surfaced online, raising questions about the seriousness of the investigation.

Local activist Dinesh Ganiga criticised the SIT, saying the probe appeared to be dragging unnecessarily. In a viral video, he claimed that despite identifying suspects Purandar Gowda and Tukaram, no action was taken. Another clip showed advocate Jagadish questioning witness Jayanth T about whether money was paid to SIT officials. These developments have further dented public confidence, with many accusing the SIT of losing credibility.

• Dharmasthala case: Sowjanya’s uncle named in complaint; high court seeks info on burial sites
• Dharmasthala case: ID card hints at missing Kodagu man; SIT recovers 7 skulls in 2-day search
• Dharmasthala case: SIT finds human bones in Banglegudde forest
• Dharmasthala case: SIT gets over 30 plaints amid claims of murder, cover-up and likely exhumations
• Dharmasthala mass burial case: Thimarody flags 4 suspected murders to SIT; human remains found
• SIT revisits Dharmasthala burial site, skeletal remains sent for forensic tests
• New evidence emerges in Dharmasthala case: Original video shows remains hauled from forest
• Dharmasthala murder probe: Villagers write to SIT, offer to reveal alleged burial sites
• Dharmasthala case: Intelligence warned of conspiracy in 2023
• Dharmasthala murder probe: Villagers write to SIT, offer to reveal alleged burial sites
• SIT steps up probe in Dharmasthala skull case, seizes hotel records linked to Chinnayya 
• Dharmasthala ‘maskman’ identified as C N Chinnayya, remanded to 10-day SIT custody
• Dharmasthala ‘skull’ case takes dramatic turn; sourced from medical research centre
• Dharmasthala case: ‘Maskman’ arrested by SIT for giving false information
• Dharmasthala case: Fresh search for bones likely after FSL report
• Dharmasthala case: RTI reveals 279 bodies buried since 1987; most unclaimed, SIT probe intensifies
• SIT probe in Dharmasthala case at crucial stage; operation may conclude soon
• Dharmasthala case: Witness complainant shows new site near Kanyadi
• New witness emerges in Dharmasthala mass burial case, claims key evidence
• Dharmasthala case: SIT considering narco test on complainant? Key developments emerge
• Beltangady: SIT deploys ground penetrating radar at 13th site in Dharmasthala burial probe
• Dharmasthala grave mystery: SIT finds nothing at Ratnagiri Hill’s ‘point 16’ despite day-long dig
• Dharmasthala mass burial case: SIT begins excavation at 14th site after discovery of human remains
• Body found at new location during SIT operation in Dharmasthala case
• Dharmasthala mass burial: Fifth day search yields no remains at two new suspected sites
• Dharmasthala burial case: Skeletal remains found at sixth location
• No human remains found yet in Dharmasthala case; PAN, ATM cards recovered, probe continues
• No human remains found on Day 1 of SIT’s excavation at Dharmasthala forest site
• Exhumation begins in Dharmasthala forest in mass grave case; medical team joins SIT
• Armed security deployed at Dharmasthala as SIT identifies suspected mass burial sites in forest area
• Dharmasthala mass burials: Witness, complainant record statements as SIT begins probe
• SIT begins probe into Dharmasthala unnatural deaths; office set up in Beltangady
• SIT constituted to probe mass burial allegations, abuse cases in Dharmasthala region
• Witness may abscond after exhumation in Dharmasthala case, says DK SP
• Dharmasthala mass burials: Complainant's lawyers decry police response, demand protection, action
• Man claiming to have buried over 100 bodies near Dharmasthala appears before court
• Shocking allegation of multiple body disposals in Dharmasthala; complainant seeks protection
• Lawyers seek SP’s attention over Dharmasthala murder case; claim man identified burial spots
• Explosive letter goes viral: Alleges murders, cover-ups in Dharmasthala; claims bodies were hidden