A 23-year-old woman from Bengaluru, identified as Varsha, died unusually and suspiciously at a lodge in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district that led to a police inquiry into her death. Police said Varsha had gone from Bengaluru to Sakleshpur on 11 September 2026 with two friends, Raghu and Darshan, and they were staying at Sridevi Lodge in Valalahalli Kudige village under Hettur Hobli.
Hassan Superintendent of Police Shubhanwita, IPS, said Sakleshpur Rural Police received information about the incident on the evening of September 15. The case is now being investigated, and the medical cause of death is still being investigated.
According to the police, Varsha collapsed as she was taking a bath on September 15. She was taken to Hettur Hospital for treatment and then to Sakleshpur Government Hospital.
Doctors at the hospital declared her dead. The sequence of events has become a major part of the police investigation as investigators seek to understand what exactly happened inside the lodge before Varsha collapsed. Police officials have not yet said that her death was caused by any particular factor. The post-mortem examination will provide important medical evidence of the circumstances and cause of death.
Police informed Varsha’s parents after the incident, and they drove from Bengaluru to Sakleshpur. The family filed an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) under Section 194(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
The woman's body was transferred for post-mortem examination at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences. Hassan SP Shubhanwita said the cause of death would be known after the post-mortem examination and that the investigation was ongoing. There were no external injuries on Varsha’s body, police also said.
A 23-year-old woman from Bengaluru died under suspicious circumstances at a lodge in Hassan district's Sakaleshpur taluk, following which police have initiated an investigation, officials said.
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The deceased has been identified as Varsha, a resident of Bengaluru.
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So far there is speculation that fumes from an LPG-powered geyser in the lodge bathroom might have caused the death. Preliminary inspection of the bathroom showed it was a small, poorly ventilated area with an LPG geyser, which led police to suspect carbon monoxide exposure or asphyxiation, The Indian Express reported.
Police were also considering gas inhalation from a geyser. But these are all preliminary reasons and are not yet confirmed as the cause of death. The final determination is expected to be based on post-mortem analysis and other evidence collected during its investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Malatheesh and personnel from Sakleshpur Rural Police visited the lodge and conducted an inspection following the incident. Investigators are looking at Varsha's stay, talking to people in the vicinity of the case and studying what happened.
The two friends who travelled together with her are also in line for questioning. Varsha's parents were aware of her visit to Sakleshpur, police said. Authorities will review hospital records, post-mortem results, statements from witnesses, and other evidence before determining how the death occurred.
The Sakleshpur lodge death case is still under investigation, and a firm conclusion is not necessarily reached on the cause of Varsha’s death. There are many suspects, and police are investigating them, but the post-mortem report is needed to find the medical cause.
There are also investigations into any safety issues at the lodge, and if the lodge was not safe for the campers to use, it couldn’t be clean and safe for the campers to go there. A case of foul play and the cause of death are not certain yet, but the evidence collected by Sakleshpur Rural Police and the examination of the post-mortem are still underway.
