Dharmasthala Skulls Case: SIT Finds ID of Missing Kodagu Resident, Two More Skulls
- Kodagu Express Bureau
- Sep 19
- 2 min read
Mangaluru/Ponnampete: The probe into the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala village has taken a new twist after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) recovered an identity card of Kodagu man along with human remains.
According to The Hindu, the card, found at Banglagudde near Dharmasthala on Wednesday, belonged to U.B. Ayyappa, a 70-year-old resident of Shettigeri village in Ponnampete taluk, Kodagu district.
The report stated that Ayyappa had reportedly gone missing several years ago after travelling to Mysuru for medical treatment. His family had subsequently lodged a missing person’s complaint with the Kodagu police, the report added. Investigators are now examining whether any of the skulls recovered from the site could be his.
On Wednesday, the SIT team discovered five skulls and around 100 skeletal remains scattered on the ground in the Banglagudde forest area, The Hindu reported. The following day, two more skulls were found at the same spot and were seized by the authorities. Sources confirmed that, like the earlier discovery, the remains were lying on the surface and not buried.
The sudden emergence of Ayyappa’s identity card at the scene has added intrigue to the case, with the SIT intensifying its investigation into the origin of the remains.
Meanwhile, according to TNIE, forensic experts may be roped in to determine the identity of the skulls and establish the time since death. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is likely to employ isotope analysis—an advanced method in forensic anthropology. This technique helps trace the geographical origin, travel history, and approximate time of death of unidentified human remains.
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