Sujatha Bhat’s lawyer urges for immediate arrest of Dharmasthala gram panchayat VP Shrinivas Rao
Dharmasthala: Advocate Manjunath N., lawyer representing Sujatha Bhat, the mother of MBBS student Ananya Bhat has called for the immediate arrest of Shrinivas Rao, Vice President of the Dharmasthala Gram Panchayat.
This comes hours after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala discovered suspected human remains on the third consecutive day of excavation. However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has not officially confirmed these findings yet.
In a press note issued on Thursday, the Manjunath N. stated that the claims made by Shrinivas Rao, that all burials were official and properly documented since 1980’s, have been disproved by today's findings.
The burial sites, discovered with the help of a whistleblower, were located in remote, hazardous terrain near the riverbank. According to the release, these are not locations any panchayat would use for official burials, especially if there was a chance that remains would need to be exhumed later for grieving relatives.
Manjunath further questioned how the panchayat could claim to escort families to such treacherous sites or maintain records of such burials, as Rao had previously stated. The whistleblower reportedly led the SIT to multiple hidden spots rather than to a single, designated burial ground.
“We demand the immediate arrest of Shrinivas Rao, Vice President of Dharmasthala Gram Panchayat, the moment human remains are recovered from these sites. Rao’s statements appear to be a calculated attempt to obstruct justice and normalize irregular burials that may have covered up criminal acts,” Manjunath added.
The lawyer also raised concerns about Rao’s role in what he described as a potential cover-up operation, questioning whether Rao was acting alone or on instructions from others. The release called for his interrogation, suggesting that he may have crucial information about the people involved in the alleged crimes.
Manjunath N. has also called upon the Karnataka Government to initiate a broader inquiry into all panchayat officials who may be linked to the issue, urging the public and media to demand transparency and accountability.
Thursday’s search began at 11:30 am and focused on the sixth burial site near the Netravati riverbank. Officials present included Puttur Sub-Divisional Officer Stella Varghese, Belthangady Tahsildar Prithvi Sanikem, a medical team from KMC Mangalore, forensic science experts, and other support staff.
So far, while five sites were dug on previous days with no significant findings, Thursday marked the first instance where suspected remains have surfaced.
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'Homebound' makes it to Oscar shortlist for best international feature
Mumbai (PTI): Neeraj Ghaywan's much acclaimed "Homebound" is among the 15 films shortlisted in the best international feature category at the Oscars, moving a step close to the final five nominations and maybe a win.
The movie, inspired by a true story that became the basis of a news article during the pandemic, has been creating a global buzz since its debut in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival this May.
Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese is a fan and has come onboard as an executive producer ahead of the award season.
Produced by Karan Johar and Adar Poonawalla, and starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, "Homebound" is Ghaywan's second movie after "Masaan".
"Homebound" will compete for an Oscar nomination alongside Argentina's “Belén”, Brazil's “The Secret Agent”, French drama "It Was Just an Accident”, Germany's "Sound of Falling” and Iraq's "The President's Cake".
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The other movies in the shortlist include Japan's “Kokuho”, Jordan's “All That’s Left of You”, Norway's “Sentimental Value”, Palestine's “Palestine 36”, South Korean hit “No Other Choice”, Spain's “Sirat”, "Late Shift" from Switzerland, “Left-Handed Girl”from Taiwan and Tunisian drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in a release on Tuesday.
The award for best foreign film, now re-categorised as best international feature, has so far eluded India.
Only three Indian films have received nominations in the category -- Mehmood Khan’s “Mother India”, Mira Nair’s “Salaam Bombay” and Ashutosh Gowarikar’s “Lagaan”. Deepa Mehta’s “Water”, starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, also received a nomination but it was submitted from Canada.
Gujarati film "Chhello Show" in 2023 was the last film to get shortlisted.
Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya was the first Indian to get an Oscar, bagging the coveted prize in 1983 for the film "Gandhi". Other than her, A R Rahman, Resul Pukootty and M M Keeravani have also won individual Oscars.
Team "Homebound" celebrated the shortlist news with posts on social media.
"We made the shortlist... Way to go team Homebound'!" Johar shared in Instagram Stories.
In a post, the producer said it was difficult for him to articulate how "proud and elated" he was with the news.
"All of us @dharmamovies are privileged to have this proud and important film in our filmography... thank you @neeraj.ghaywan for making so many dreams of ours come true... from Cannes to being on the Oscar shortlist this has been such an overwhelming journey! Love to the entire cast and crew and teams of this special special film! Upwards and onwards...."
Ghaywan also shared the news on X.
"#Homebound has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards! We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary love and support we've received from around the world," he wrote on X with a special poster of the film.
Jethwa, who plays one of the two friends in the story opposite Ishaan Khatter, said the moment feels "surreal and incredibly humbling".
"To see 'Homebound' being shortlisted and progressing towards the Oscars is something I could have only dreamed of. I am deeply grateful for the love and support the film has received from audiences around the world," he said as he acknowledged Johar, Ghaywan and co-star Khatter and the rest of the team.
Khatter also shared the news on his Instagram stories and wrote, "Oscar ab dur nahi".
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"Homebound" is inspired by journalist Basharat Peer's The New York Times article “Taking Amrit Home”, also titled "A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway".
The film portrays the childhood friendship between a Muslim and Dalit who chase a police job that promises them the dignity they have long been denied due to their surnames.
The Academy on Tuesday also announced shortlists in 11 other categories, including the newly added casting Oscars, animated shorts, cinematography, documentary feature, documentary short, original score and song, sound and visual effects categories.
Nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
Twenty-four categories will be awarded at the 98th Oscars. Each category has five nominees, except for best picture, which has 10.
The 98th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
