Skeletal remains of 57-year-old Bengaluru woman found in her house, death suspected to be a year old
Skeletal remains of a 57-year-old woman, who had been living alone for several years, were found inside her house in northwest Bengaluru’s Havanur Layout on
Skeletal remains of a 57-year-old woman, who had been living alone for several years, were found inside her house in northwest Bengaluru’s Havanur Layout on Friday (August 7, 2026), police said. The police suspect that she had been dead for almost a year and that her death went unreported. The deceased has been identified as Dakshayani, a resident of Havanur Layout near Nagasandra. Police have registered an unnatural death report (UDR) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) based on a complaint filed by her younger brother, Mahesh Basappa Goravanakolla. A senior police officer told The Hindu that for almost a year, even the neighbours did not notice any foul smell or become suspicious about her absence, which led to her death going unreported.
“The deceased was not very friendly and used to scold people when they approached her. In addition, she used to lock the house and go away for months. So, the neighbours believed it was one such instance,” the officer said. However, on August 7, one of the neighbours standing near her house noticed a foul smell and alerted the police helpline, leading to the discovery of Dakshayani’s skeletal remains. Mental health issues According to the complainant, Dakshayani had allegedly been suffering from schizophrenia for several years. He said Dakshayini allegedly developed mental health issues after her son died in 2005. In 2010, she was treated at a hospital in Shivamogga, where doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenia and admitted her to a rehabilitation centre for around four months, the complainant stated.
She was subsequently cared for by her family. However, in 2017, after the death of the family member who had been her caregiver, Dakshayani decided to live alone at her house in Havanur Layout. According to the police, Dakshayani was frequently visited by her daughter and son-in-law, but the former was skeptical that they would enroll her in a rehabilitation centre again. So, Dakshayani had been maintaining her distance from her daughter. Even her daughter had not visited her in a long time. On August 7 night, police contacted Mahesh and informed him that a body had been found inside his sister’s house and was in a skeletal condition.
Subsequent tests confirmed that the remains were those of Dakshayani. Mahesh told the police that he had no suspicion of anyone in connection with his sister’s death and requested that the necessary legal procedures be completed to enable the family to perform her last rites. Police have registered a UDR and are conducting further proceedings to ascertain the circumstances and the approximate time of her death.
The BriefWire