After protests, Karnataka government to probe Raichur girl’s mystery death

RAICHUR/KALABURAGI: The mysterious death of an engineering student in Raichur early this week has touched off shock and outrage in the state. Netizens have launched a campaign seeking justice for the girl.
The 21-year-old deceased girl was a sixth-semester civil engineering student at Navodaya Institute of Technology in Raichur. Her name has been withheld on request from parents.
According to police, the girl left home on April 13 ostensibly to write internal exams — and never returned.Her body was found in a decomposed state in a forested area near Manikaprabhu Hill, Raichur, three days later. A death note found next to the body suggested she had committed suicide over academic failure — a charge dismissed by her parents as ludicrous.
Taking note of the spontaneous student protests, the Karnataka government asked the DG&IGP to conduct a probe into the incident and bring the guilty to book.
Students seek impartial probe into girl’sdeath
Student organisations and classmates of the girl took out a rally and torchlight parade in Raichur seeking an impartial probe into her death. Some Kannada film actors have lent their voice to the protests.
Police sources said the girl’s parents insisted — with corroboration — that it was a case of unnatural death and, possibly, murder. After two days, the girl’s parents suspected the role of Sudarshan Yadav, her collegemate in PU. Based on their complaint, police arrested him and remanded him in judicial custody.
Police said the boy and girl may have been in a relationship, grounding their theory on texts recovered from their phones. Her parents rejected the version. Since the body was recovered from a forested area, an attack by animals is not ruled out. However, the body appeared to have been partially burnt and it was found hanging from a tree branch with her feet touching the ground. This has raised suspicions that the girl may have been murdered and then her body was hanged from the tree.
Home minister MB Patil tweeted: “... I have directed the DGP to conduct thorough investigation...” An online petition addressed to Karnataka police on change.org alleged attempts to hush up the case.