Dharmasthala case: Sujata Bhat’s lawyer urges SIT to use ground penetrating radar to locate remains
Advocate for Sujata Bhat says terrain changes over 11 years may have obscured burial sites
Mangaluru: Advocate Manjunath N., representing Sujata Bhat, the mother of missing medical student Ananya Bhat, has urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to deploy advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology at sites already identified and excavated by the witness-complainant in the Dharmasthala crime case.
In a press release dated August 3, 2025, he stated: “It is learnt that skeletal remains have been discovered at some of the 10 locations identified by the witness-complainant.”
Citing the witness’s own testimony, he added: “As the witness himself has stated, he left Dharmasthala in 2014. The Dharmasthala region experiences heavy rainfall and there is a high possibility of soil shifting and accumulation from one place to another.”
The advocate further explained the need for advanced forensic assistance: “Since considerable changes have occurred in the forest area over approximately 11 years, there is a high probability that the landmarks the witness had relied on in his memory may have changed or shifted.”
Reiterating a previous petition submitted on July 29, 2025, he formally requested: “We request the deployment of the most advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) available in India to detect skeletal remains at the already excavated locations and in the surrounding areas.”
Describing the practicality of using GPR in the ongoing search, Manjunath N. noted: “We request that GPR units, which are comparable in size to machines used for clearing grass and weeds and which can be deployed with very few persons, be deployed to detect skeletal remains at the already excavated locations and in the surrounding areas.”
Commending the SIT’s efforts thus far, he said: “We once again commend the SIT for conducting the excavation process with the assistance of an excellent team.”
He also expressed confidence in the leadership involved: “Many experts anticipate that the SIT, led by Sri Pronab Mohanty, will implement GPR technology. We have unwavering faith and confidence that the Karnataka Government and the Hon’ble Chief Minister Sri Siddaramaiah will support the SIT in deploying GPRs.”
Finally, he called on the media to play an educational role in the public interest: “We request that the media provide to the public, information about GPRs and also, similarly, appeal to the SIT and the state government to deploy them.”
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Rupee rises 42 paise to close at 91.51 against US dollar
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee gained 42 paise to close at 91.51 (provisional) against the US dollar on Monday, a day after the Union Budget 2026-27 was presented, largely as crude oil prices retreated from their elevated levels.
Forex traders said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seemed to be defending the 92 per dollar level with a lot of resolve.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 91.95 against the US dollar, then gained some ground to touch an intraday high of 91.45 and a low of 91.95 against the greenback.
At the end of the trading session on Monday, the rupee was quoted at 91.51 (provisional) against the greenback, registering a gain of 42 paise from its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee hit a record low of 92.02 before ending 6 paise higher at 91.93 against the US dollar.
For the rupee, the Budget offered reassurance, not relief, and the government's high borrowing plan is likely to weigh on investor sentiments going ahead.
The government is likely to borrow Rs 17.2 lakh crore in the next financial year to fund its fiscal deficit projected at 4.3 per cent of the GDP.
"Overall, it looks like a prudent budget, focusing on continuity. Given the geopolitical uncertainties and challenges, it seems the government it seems has chosen to go a bit slow on fiscal consolidation," IFA Global said in a research note.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.09 per cent higher at 97.07.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 4.46 per cent lower at USD 66.23 per barrel in futures trade, as the US and Iran were talking about avoiding US strikes on Iranian soil.
The oil prices had touched USD 72 per barrel after traders expected a US strike on Iran during the weekend.
"As the Budget volatility subsides, the Indian rupee and domestic equities have emerged as regional outperformers. A combination of cooling commodity prices, enhanced fiscal control, large forex reserves and suspected corporate dollar selling has provided a tailwind for the local currency," Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities, said.
In the near term, the USD-INR spot is likely to consolidate within a tight range, finding support at 91.10 and facing resistance near 91.85, Parmar added.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 943.52 points to settle at 81,666.46, while the Nifty surged 262.95 points to 25,088.40.
On Sunday, equity markets reacted negatively to the FY27 Budget as it proposed a higher securities transaction tax on derivatives and changes to buyback taxation, raising concerns over increased costs for investors.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 588.34 crore on Sunday, according to exchange data.
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