The story of Athiratha revolves around an aspiring journalist who helps the innocent and talented young students get a fair chance by uncovering the huge racket of question paper leaks and fake certification prevalent in the country.
Chetan loves Mallika but his father hires an underworld don, Kotwal, to break their relationship. Irked by his father's actions, Chetan approaches Kotwal's rival, Jayaraj, to defeat him.
During the 1980s, Shreyas, an affluent young man, befriends DSP and his gang in his new college. Meenu, a gang member, falls in love with Shreyas but unfortunately, he has his heart set on Shruthi.