Dharmasthala mass burial case: Karnataka government awaits SIT investigation report
Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that the government will take further steps in the Dharmasthala mass burial case only after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by DGP Pronab Mohanty, completes its investigation and submits its report.
The Minister reportedly told the media that, “On Dharmasthala issue, as per the demand of so many people, we have constituted an SIT (Special Investigation Team). SIT will definitely investigate and submit a report to the government. Once the report is submitted to the government, we will see what we can do about it.”
What is the Dharmasthala case about?
Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district is a major pilgrimage centre, where Lord Manjunatha is the prime deity.
According to media reports, a former sanitation worker filed a complaint claiming to have secretly buried bodies in Dharmasthala for two decades.
The 48-year-old Dalit man, whose identity has been kept confidential for security reasons, has also produced exhumed skeletal remains as evidence and expressed readiness to cooperate with a detailed investigation as long as his family is offered legal protection.
Chronology of events
July 4 – The formal complaint was officially registered under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after obtaining the Belthangady court’s permission at the offices of the SP and the Dharmasthala Police Station.
July 14 – Karnataka State Women's Commission (KSWC) Chairperson Nagalakshmi Choudhary, in a letter to the Chief Minister, Choudhary stated how the Commission had taken serious note of the media reports on July 12 which included claims about the recovery of a human skull and concerns raised by the family of a medical student missing since 2003.
July 16 – A group of lawyers urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to form an SIT to probe serious allegations of mass murder, rape, and secret burials in Dharmasthala. Subsequently, the KSWC also requested the CM to establish an SIT.
July 19 – The state government formally issued an order to constitute an SIT to investigate these alleged incidents in Dharmasthala, specifically addressing cases registered under relevant sections of the BNS at the Dharmasthala police station.
July 20 – The Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala spokesperson expressed support for a “fair and transparent” investigation.
The investigation is currently ongoing, and the SIT's findings will dictate subsequent action.
(with ANI and PTI inputs)