Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Oct 21: An elderly woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Sugodi near Bidkalkatte at Yadadi Matyadi here on Tuesday, October 21.

The deceased has been identified as Seeta Kulalthi (61), wife of Nalthooru Jaddinamane resident Annayya Kulal.

She was a member of a self-help group under Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project. It is said that she had gone by auto rickshaw to pay an installment at Suvidha collection centre of Hondadi Kalikamba group at Hombadi, Bidkalkatte. On the way back, she stopped for a soft drink at a shop in Bidkalkatte.

As she did not reach home till late afternoon, her family members grew anxious and started searching for her. Meanwhile, a woman who went to fetch fodder for the cattle found her body near the cashew trees next to a mud road about 150 meters away from the main road leading to her house.

Her face was pounded and there were no other wounds on the body.

There is leopard menace in the area and locals expressed suspicion that she might have been attacked by the animal. However, if she was attacked by the leopard, there would have been wounds on her body too.

Her neighbours and family members said that Seeta had no enemies. She was a member of Navodaya Sangha for the last nine years and had become a member of Dharmastala self-help group only this year. She had borrowed no money, and had been saving for the last ten years. Robbery too did not seem to be the motive as the jewellery worn by her was left untouched. Sources said that there was some dispute regarding division of property at the panchayat but it was not a serious matter.

Her body was found at a spot above the road and the reason for her to climb there is difficult to comprehend.

Seeta Kulalthi is survived by her husband, three sons and a daughter. A case has been registered at Kota police station.