Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Jul 25: Even 15 days after the death of Ratna Kottary, a student of Shiroor PU College, the police department is groping in the dark about the cause of her death. The department has been postponing the expected date of receipt of forensic laboratory report relating to her death. The department, which was expected to receive the report by Friday or Saturday last, has now put off the date by a few more days. As is evident, public memory is short, and this case is showing all the signs of being relegated to the status of forgotten files.
The death of this student had given rise to outrage all over the state, and people from all corners of the state had in unison demanded for learning the truth behind the incident. Even the western range inspector general of police visited the village and announced that the department will take the case as a challenge and crack it at the earliest. His visit is eight days old now, and the investigation appears to have got stranded.
For the department, more than who was behind this death, ascertaining the cause of Ratna's mysterious death has proved to be a daunting task. It is said that the doctors failed to properly assess the cause of the girl's death as the body had been partly decomposed. The department has yet to make out whether it was a case of suicide or murder. The post mortem report had clearly ruled out suicide, observing that no poisonous substances were found in the body, her neck was not swollen, and the girl's body did not bear any injuries caused by lethal weapons. The preliminary medical report has also ruled out rape. The cause of her death, and the question as to whether she was murdered, have remained a mystery.
However, the people from Shiroor and nearby villages defiantly argue that it was a well-planned and executed murder. The murder was not committed for vengeance, as the backgrounds of the girl and her parents do not support this theory. The family, which is finding it hard to make both the ends meet, does not have any grouse or enmity with any other persons or families. With the sole aim of making their daughter educated, the parents had worked very hard and even admitted her into PU college. The girl happened to be decent, hardworking, and used to do errands during the summer vacations to earn something to help her parents. She did not suffer from any physical or mental disorders. No sickness, other than occasional headache, had bothered her. As such, ill health can be easily ruled out as cause of death.
These logical discussions are often heard in Shiroor and other parts of the taluk. There is no doubt that something fishy happened on that day on the walkway from Shiroor Checkpost and Alandoor Road. There are no clues left to guess the cause of Ratna's death. Everything is confusing.
Ratna Kottary (17), a first PU student of Shiroor PU College, had started to walk towards her home after her classes at around 3.30 pm on July 9, through the short cut route that leads to Konanamakki, her village. She did not reach her home, and something happened within a short stretch of 500 metres of the road. Searches for her had proved futile till July 12, when her partially decomposed body was recovered in Savantagudde area.
The people are worrying over the prospects of the investigation into the case derailing like in the case of Saujanya and Prithvi Poojary. The anguish of the people is compounded by the fact that the police department has not been able to achieve any progress in the case although forensic science has grown by leaps and bounds, and the police department has seen revolutionary changes. The people suspect that the police seem to have already treated this as a case of natural death due to unexplained causes.
Will this poor family ever get justice? Will the girl's killers face punishment for their sins? Do the poor have the right to live in this country and get justice?, are some of the questions being heard in the taluk. The elected representatives have to evince interest in the case and put pressure on the concerned till the final truth is revealed.
The health condition of Ratna's mother, Saku Kottary, who had undergone surgery a few days before her daughter went missing, has deteriorated after her dear daughter lost her life. She is continuously bedridden, as she has been unable to accept the death of her daughter.
The department now pins hopes on the clues if any the forensic report that is expected to be received by the 28th of this month might reveal. The people hope that the investigation into this case will gain speed from then on. After the death of the girl, several rape cases have occurred in the state, and the attention of the people is now rivetted on them. The people worry that the investigation into Ratna's death might get buried in the presence of new cases that are actively being pursued by influential persons. Various organizations including students have held protests demanding in-depth investigation into Ratna's death and justice for her parents. Kundapur bandh organized on Wednesday was successful. But the pace of investigation can be at best compared to that of a snail. All these things point out to the fact that something fishy happened on July 9 but no one is able to get to its root.