Two sons dig up mother’s decomposed body, carry it on bike seeking ‘murder’ probe; FIR filed against them
Davangere: In a shocking incident that came to light on Monday, two brothers in Karnataka’s Davangere district allegedly exhumed their mother’s decomposed body nearly 79 days after her burial and carried it on a motorcycle to a hospital, alleging that her death was a case of murder and not suicide.
The incident occurred in Adapur village of Harihar taluk and has sent shockwaves across the state. The brothers, identified as Manjunath and Venkatesh, have now landed in legal trouble, with police registering an FIR against them for exhuming the body without obtaining permission from competent authorities.
According to police and family members, the brothers’ mother, Eeramma (58), was found hanging at her residence on April 29. Following a preliminary post-mortem examination conducted at Malebennur Hospital, doctors reportedly concluded that it was a case of suicide, after which the family performed her last rites.
However, doubts surrounding Eeramma’s death continued to persist in the village. The brothers alleged that their mother had been involved in a dispute over the construction of a box drain with several relatives, including Kariyappa, Bhadra, Shakunthala and others.
They have accused around 10 to 11 individuals of assaulting and murdering Eeramma before hanging her body to make the death appear as suicide. The family claimed that visible injury marks were present on her body and that they had repeatedly approached the Malebennur Police seeking a fresh investigation and a second post-mortem examination.
“We have several unanswered questions about our mother’s death. If she had died by hanging, there should not have been injuries on her body. We believe only a fresh medical examination can reveal the truth,” the brothers told reporters.
Alleging that the initial post-mortem examination was conducted hastily to close the case, the brothers claimed that police had failed to adequately investigate their complaint. Manjunath had reportedly filed a complaint against 11 individuals at the Malebennur Police Station, suspecting foul play in his mother’s death.
Determined to seek justice, the brothers allegedly dug up their mother’s grave late on Sunday night, fearing resistance if they attempted to do so during the daytime. They wrapped the decomposed remains in a bedsheet and set out for Davangere District Hospital on a motorcycle to demand a second post-mortem examination.
The matter came to light around midnight after the motorcycle reportedly lost balance near Shamanur Road on the outskirts of Davangere. Passers-by who rushed to the spot were stunned to discover that the bundle being carried by the brothers contained a human body.
Police arrived at the scene and shifted the remains to the mortuary at Davangere District Hospital, where the body is currently being kept. The brothers were seen in tears outside the mortuary, continuing to insist that their mother’s death was a case of murder.
Police have registered an FIR against Manjunath and Venkatesh for exhuming the body without prior approval from a court or the Tahsildar, as mandated under law. Authorities have also initiated procedures for DNA testing to confirm the identity of the remains.
Investigators are now examining both the circumstances surrounding Eeramma’s death and the allegations made by her sons, while also probing the unauthorised exhumation of the body. Further investigation is underway.
