Daijiworld Media Network-Beltangady (RJP)

Beltangady, Jan 3: Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team from Bengaluru visited Belalu near Punjalkatte in relation to the investigation of the unnatural death of Shobhitha, a 19-year old college girl whose body was found in a well.

The CID team was led by M Prabhushankar.

The body of Shobhitha, a second year degree student of Punjalkatte government first grade college was found floating in a well in the neighbourhood of her home on the night of Sunday on July 7 in 2014. Shobhitha, daughter of Santappa Poojary from Adarsh Nagar in Belalu village, reportedly had left home at around 6.30 pm after telling her mother that she would return after watching television programme in a neighbouring house as her own house had no electricity supply, and the family members depended on kerosene lamp for lighting.

When Shobhitha visited the nearby house for the above purpose, an old lady was alone in that house. After watching television, she left the neighbouring house after telling the old lady. The lady was under the impression that the girl had returned home, but was shocked to learn later that she had died within minutes after leaving her house.

On the basis of a complaint filed by Keshava Poojary, brother of Shobhitha, a case was registered by the police of the town station. Keshava said in his complaint that the family went in search of the girl, as she did not return after watching television programmes. Her body was found floating in the well of a house belonging to a neighbour named Sanjeeva Acharya. Although it was first suspected that she would have slipped and fallen into the well, some argued otherwise.

The family members were surprised at the fact that the girl body was floating in water, although they reached the spot within a short time after her death. Secondly no water was found in Shobhitha’s stomach as in the cases of drowning. Moreover, the well in which the girl's body was found, is located some distance away from the path between the two houses. After the villagers expressed suspicion, the police questioned a person from the village, but let him go after being unable to find any clue about his possible involvement in the girl's death.

The locals had pointed out that the accident theory was difficult to accept because of several inadequacies in the case. Local MLA Vasantha Bangera had asked the government to entrust the case to CID.

The CID team had come to the village in September last year in relation to the case. This is its second visit to the place of the death. Only one has been subjected to interrogation so far, locals said.

Shobhitha was good at studies and was popular in the college because of decent behaviour.