The body of a 28-year-old teacher of a private school was found buried under the ground near a temple in Melukote area of Mandya district, two days after she went missing, police said on Tuesday. Deepika V Gowda, a resident of Manikyahalli village of Pandavapura taluk, is survived by her husband and a seven-year-old son, they said.
Deepika V Gowda, a resident of Manikyahalli village of Pandavapura taluk, is survived by her husband and a seven-year-old son. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)
According to the police, the victim left home as usual around 9 am for school on her two-wheeler on Saturday. When she did not return home at the expected time, her husband tried to contact her on her mobile phone which was found to be switched off. When her husband could not find her anywhere, he approached the police on Saturday evening following which a missing complaint was lodged.
During a search operation, the police found the victim's two-wheeler near the temple ground. On Monday, when the family members started combing the surrounding area, they sensed a foul smell emanating from a particular area which led them to the body. They removed the sand underneath and found her dress. They immediately alerted the police who then recovered the body which was buried under the ground, a senior police officer said.
"No injury marks were visible on the body and as soon as we recovered the body, we shifted it to the nearest hospital for post-mortem. The exact cause of death would be ascertained only after we receive the post-mortem report which is awaited," he said. "Based on the circumstances under which the body was found, we have registered a case of murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code," he added.
The victim's family has accused an acquaintance of being behind her killing, police said, adding, teams have been formed to nab the suspect based on the investigation.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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