Belthangady: Missing 15-year-old boy found dead in pond near home

Belthangady: Missing 15-year-old boy found dead in pond near home

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, January 14, 2026: A boy who had mysteriously gone missing after leaving home early this morning to attend Dhanu Pooja at the Nala Temple was later found dead in a pond near his house. The incident occurred in the Sambolya–Baramelu area of Kuvettu village in Belthangady taluk. Several suspicions have been raised regarding the unnatural death of the boy.

The deceased has been identified as Sumanth (15), son of Subrahmanya Naik, a resident of Sambolya Baramelu in Kuvettu village, and a 9th-standard student of Gerukatte Government High School.

Incident details:

Sumanth, along with two other boys, used to visit the Nala Temple daily for Dhanu Pooja. On January 14, at around 4:00 a.m., Sumanth left home for the temple. However, when he did not reach the temple at the expected time, the other two boys proceeded without waiting for him.

Later, when the boys became suspicious and called Sumanth’s family, they were informed that he had already left for the temple early in the morning. When it was confirmed that Sumanth had not arrived at the temple, the family grew anxious and alerted local residents.

Bloodstains were found near a pond along the route Sumanth usually took, prompting the police, forest department, fire and emergency services, and local residents to conduct a search. At around 11:30 a.m., Sumanth’s body was found in the pond. Severe injuries were noticed on his head, giving rise to multiple suspicions regarding the cause of death.

Investigation:

District Superintendent of Police Dr. Arun Kumar, Belthangady Police Inspector Subbapura Math, Sub-Inspector Anand M., Tahsildar Prithvi Sanikam, RI Pavadappa, BEO Tarakeshwari, along with other officials, administrators, and school teachers visited the spot and conducted an inspection. The police have registered a case and are continuing the investigation.