Mangaluru: Missing girl's skeleton found; death remains a mystery

September 5, 2015

Mangaluru, Sep 5: The skeletal remains of a girl were found under a tree in Munchur-Kodipadi uninhabited areas near Krishnapura recently, which are suspected to be those of a girl who went missing from Kulur in Mangaluru taluk over a month ago.

Along with the skull and remains of a skeleton, a dupatta was found hanging from the cashew tree under which, a vanity bag, a chudidar dress and a pair of sandals were also found.

Upon going through the contents of the vanity bag, an ID card, Aadhaar Card, EPIC Card and a bank passbook were discovered. According to the Aadhaar and EPIC card, the girl was identified as Shwetha (26), resident of Adyapady. Shwetha had been working at a counselling centre in Kankanady, and had reportedly gone missing since July 26.

A missing complaint had been lodged in this regard in Kavoor police station on July 27.

Shwetha's disappearance

Since Shwetha's parents were not alive, she lived with her relatives in Kulur. It is said that she had left her relative's home in Kulur for her work on July 26.

On the other hand, it is learnt that she had not turned up for her work at the counselling centre and when enquired, Shwetha informed that she would arrive soon, while her mobile phone was discovered switched off.

Following her disappearance, Kavoor police summoned her lover Nithish for enquiry and left him thereafter.

The dog squad and a team of crime detection and forensic experts were brought to the scene where the skeletal remains were found and pressed into action.

The police have informed that the death of the girl would be ascertained as a suicide or murder after a forensic analysis of the skeletal remains.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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