Sujatha Bhatt's lawyer demands arrest of Dharmasthala Panchayath's Vice President
Dharmasthala: Advocate Manjunath N who is representing complainant Ananya Bhatt has called for the immediate arrest of Dharmasthala Gram Panchayat Vice President Shrinivas Rao after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), guided by a mass burials case complainant, identified multiple hidden burial sites in forested, hard-to-access areas near the Netravati River.
This comes in the wake of the ongoing investigation into the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala.
According to the advocate, the locations shown to the SIT are scattered across dangerous terrain and do not match the kind of official burial grounds that a panchayat would normally use.
In a press release issued on Monday, Advocate Manjunath stated, “The whistleblower today led the Special Investigation Team to multiple burial sites in dangerous, scattered locations near the Netravati river, terrain so treacherous that no panchayat anywhere in the country would ever choose such sites for official burials.” He added that the sites marked for exhumation from Tuesday directly contradict Shrinivas Rao’s claim that the burials were official and documented since the 1980s.
The press note also questioned how a panchayat could escort grieving families to such locations if they needed to exhume a body later. “No sane panchayat administration would bury bodies in places that are this hard to access,” the release read.
Manjunath pointed out that the whistleblower spent hours showing the SIT several hidden burial spots that are not part of any known or officially recorded burial ground. He argued that this raises serious doubts about Shrinivas Rao’s role. “Rao’s strong defense of these claims makes us ask—who asked him to support these burials? What does he know about the people responsible? Is he part of a cover-up?” the statement asked.
Shrinivas Rao had earlier claimed that records for unclaimed body burials existed in annual audit reports since 1989. But Advocate Manjunath believes this was a deliberate attempt to make illegal burials look official. “No panchayat in India buries bodies in scattered forest-like places. These were not official burials. They were attempts to hide murder victims,” he stated.
Manjunath is now demanding Rao’s arrest the moment human remains are recovered from these locations. He believes Rao may have important information that can help expose those involved in the alleged murders and any attempts to hide them.
“Rao has tried to mislead the public. His arrest and questioning could help uncover the truth behind this case,” he said.
Advocate Manjunath urged that, “We urge the SIT to arrest Shrinivas Rao immediately upon recovery of bodies at these sites. The Karnataka Government should also investigate other panchayat officials who may be involved. The media should ask why a panchayat official is defending burials in such places. Citizens must demand accountability.”
“The exhumation planned for tomorrow will reveal the truth. The people who tried to hide the truth must be held responsible. These were not proper burials, they were part of a crime,” the statement read.
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Dermatologist booked over 'toxic' claims against Nandini products, KMF denies allegations
Bengaluru (PTI): A complaint has been lodged against a city-based dermatologist for allegedly spreading misinformation about Nandini milk products on social media and misleading the public, police said on Thursday.
The complaint was lodged by Padmavathi R, an officer of the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), which owns the popular Nandini brand, seeking legal action against Dr Sharanya Padma.
In her complaint, Padmavathi stated that Padma had uploaded reels on February 8 claiming that "Nandini products such as cream bun, strawberry-flavoured milk and other beverages are toxic and contain chemicals, and consuming them daily could lead to autoimmune diseases and serious health issues. Long-term consumption will definitely result in cancer in the future."
According to the complaint, the doctor also alleged that strawberry-flavoured milk "does not contain natural strawberries but is prepared by adding artificial colours and preservatives," and questioned how the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had granted permission for the manufacture of such products.
She further claimed in the reel that consuming these products would damage health and that KMF, being a government company, was producing and marketing them for profit.
The complaint quoted her as stating that "these products are not real food but poisonous in nature and KMF should not release such products into the market."
Padmavathi stated that baseless allegations about certain Nandini brand products were being made on social media and that such "false propaganda" had created unnecessary confusion among crores of consumers who had grown up with the brand since childhood.
In a press release issued on February 18, KMF clarified that it strictly adheres to all food safety standards and approved procedures prescribed by statutory authorities and FSSAI. It assured that all Nandini milk and milk products are completely safe for consumption and that consumers need not panic.
The Federation also "strongly condemned such baseless, misleading and brand-defaming statements" and said it was committed to taking legal action against those involved in such malicious acts.
Based on the complaint, police are examining the matter and further action is likely in accordance with law.
There was no immediate reaction from Dr Padma.
