Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Jul 29: The body of Shobhita (19), a second year degree student of Punjalakatte government first grade college was found floating in a well in the neighbourhood of her home on the night of Sunday July 27. Shobhita, daughter of Santappa Poojary from Adarsh Nagar in Belalu village, reportedly had left home after telling her mother that she would return after watching television programme in a neighbouring house.
The locals point out that the accident theory is difficult to accept because of several inadequacies in the case.
Shobhita had left home at around 6.30 pm for watching television programme. She was good at studies and was popular in the college because of decent behaviour. When she visited a nearby house for the above purpose, as her own house has no electricity supply, and the family members depend on kerosene lamp for lighting, a old lady was alone in that house. After watching television, she is said to have come out, and asked the lady whether she had a particular flower plant she wanted to have, before heading home. 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 watching televison.
On the basis of a complaint filed by Keshava Poojary, brother of Shobhita, a case was registered by the policemen of the town station. The complaint suspects that the student would have slipped and fallen into the well accidentally.
Poojary 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 is suspected that she would have slipped and fallen into the well, there are some who argue 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, those who drown normally consume lot of water, but in this case, no water was found in Shobhita's stomach. 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 policemen 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.
Postmortem was conducted at Mangalore.