A Special Investigation Team probing the Dharmasthala case has reportedly recovered skeletal remains during a search operation in Banglegudda forest, near the Netravati bathing ghats in Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday.
According to officials, the recovery was made in an area previously marked as a possible evidence site during earlier witness depositions.
The SIT personnel collected the bones and sent them for forensic examination.
The development follows earlier claims by local leader Vitthal Gowda, uncle of the deceased Soujanya, who had stated that decomposed bodies or skeletal remains were visible in the same region when he was brought there for inspection.
Sowjanya, a 17-year-old college student, was allegedly raped and murdered on October 9, 2012, in Dharmasthala.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the latest discovery corresponds exactly to the location identified by him.
Search operations are continuing in the dense Banglegudda forest zone to determine if additional remains or material evidence can be traced.
The SIT officials indicated that the area may yield more bodies or crucial leads in connection with the case.
The remains will undergo scientific analysis to establish identity, time of death, and possible cause. Officials added that further details would be made public once the forensic results are available.
The Dharmasthala case, which has attracted public attention, involves allegations of custodial lapses and mishandling of evidence. The fresh discovery of skeletons is expected to provide a new direction to the ongoing SIT inquiry.