Bones Found From New Site In Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala on Monday recovered multiple skeletal remains from a new site identified by the anonymous complainant, police sources said.

Under the supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) Pranab Mohanty, the SIT halted exhumations at the designated 11th site and redirected operations to a previously unexamined spot at a place called Banglegudde.

The new site, located on an elevated terrain nearly 100 feet high, has yielded several skeletal fragments, including skulls and other human bones, sources in the police said.

According to sources, the SIT, which is investigating the case of hundreds of alleged illegal burials between 1995 and 2014, has already gathered Unnatural Death Report (UDR) records for the period. Despite earlier records being tampered with or missing from Belthangady police archives, prior data collection ordered by Mohanty soon after the SIT's constitution helped preserve critical evidence.

Police officials said the recovered skeletal remains have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine age, gender, and possible cause of death.

The skeletal remains that were recovered from site No. 6 on July 31 have been sent for forensic examination.

Attempts to exhume at four other locations--labelled sites 7 to 10--had earlier failed to produce conclusive evidence, further intensifying focus on the new site. Minor injuries were reported among a few personnel during the operation due to the difficult terrain, police officials said.

The SIT has invited residents who had earlier lodged complaints or shared information to actively engage with the ongoing investigation. Officials said that recovering as many skeletals as possible remains a top priority in one of Karnataka's largest forensic-led investigations.

The SIT investigation continues under tight secrecy, with daily operations expected to proceed based on emerging findings.

The SIT was formed by the state government after allegations emerged of mass murder, rape, and illegal burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.

The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been disclosed, claimed that he was employed in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014.

He alleged that he was forced to bury several bodies--including those of women and minors--some of which bore signs of sexual assault.

He has since recorded a statement before a magistrate in connection with these claims.  

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