The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burial case in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka has found skeletal remains at a fresh location, police sources confirmed Monday.
According to a source in the SIT, fragments of skulls and human bones were discovered at the 11th location pointed out to them by the whistleblower, who has alleged that he was threatened and forced to bury scores of bodies in and around the town in Dakshina Kannada district.
Dharmasthala, in the foothills of the Western Ghats, is home to the Sree Manjunatheshwara Temple, one of Karnataka’s foremost religious destinations.
The SIT was established following allegations of murder, rape and illegal burials spanning two decades in the town. The case emerged after the whistleblower, a former sanitation worker whose identity remains protected, came forward to reveal the places where he had allegedly buried the bodies, all in forested areas.
The team, on July 31, had also found a portion of a skull and bone fragments at the sixth spot identified by the complainant — along the banks of the Netravati river, close to Dharmasthala town. The SIT has been carrying out exhumations at various spots since July 29.
All the recovered skeletal remains have been dispatched to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination to determine age, gender and potential cause of death.
Meanwhile, a social worker and a resident of Dakshina Kannada district on Monday filed a complaint before the SIT claiming that he had witnessed police burying the body of a teenage girl in 2002-2003 without following procedure.
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According to Jayanth T, the minor girl’s body was discovered near the forests of state highway 37 and police were informed about it. He claimed police buried the body in the forest after a week with “no case, no spot mahazar (report) and no post-mortem.”
Jayanth told reporters: “There are 3-4 witnesses to the case who also took part in burying the body. Also, I know the autorickshaw driver who informed the police after finding the body,” he said.
The SIT has gathered unnatural death report records spanning the investigation period of 1995-2014, despite challenges posed by tampered or missing archives from the Belthangady police records.
SIT chief Pronab Mohanty’s early directive to preserve critical evidence has proved crucial in maintaining investigative continuity, it is learnt.
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The investigation continues under strict confidentiality, with daily operations adapting based on emerging findings. The SIT has also launched a helpline and a small desk at Belthangady police station seeking public information related to the case.
