The complainant is under witness protection, with police surveillance ensuring his safety and cooperation. A case was filed after three YouTubers were assaulted, prompting police action and condemnation from journalist organizations.
Dharmasthala: The scheduled excavation at the 13th identified site in the Netravati river mass burial case was temporarily suspended on Thursday, August 7, due to the unexplained absence of the anonymous complainant. The excavation was expected to take place under the supervision of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Belthangadi, but operations were halted shortly after officials gathered at the site. Officials, including Assistant Commissioner (AC) Stella Verghese and members of the SIT, had arrived at the Belthangadi SIT office early in the day, ready to proceed with the latest round of excavation. However, the complainant – whose inputs have so far led to the discovery of multiple human skeletal remains – could not be located. . Efforts are currently underway to trace the complainant, but there is no clarity yet on why he failed to appear. The delay has disrupted the investigation timeline and added uncertainty to the case, which has already drawn intense public and media attention.
After waiting for nearly 90 minutes at the SIT office, AC Stella Verghese left for the Taluk office, citing other pending work. When approached by the media for comment on the sudden delay, she responded briefly, “The SIT is aware of the delay; I have no information,” and declined to elaborate. A resident of Belthangadi taluk had recently urged the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take the complainant into custody to ensure a fair and transparent investigation. “In a case of this magnitude, how can an impartial investigation take place if the key complainant is staying outside official custody?” he questioned, urging the SIT to take immediate steps to bring the individual under their direct protection.
The individual is being safeguarded under the Witness Protection Scheme. Approved by a District Judge’s Committee, this scheme grants the complainant certain freedoms to ensure their safety and cooperation during sensitive investigations. Under the scheme, the protected witness is allowed to stay in secure private accommodations, communicate via phone, and meet individuals of their choice—all while remaining under continuous police surveillance. Four police personnel have been assigned to ensure his security, and officials are monitoring his communication and contacts closely to prevent any compromise in the investigation.
YouTubers Assaulted in Dharmasthala
A case was registered on Wednesday, August 6, after three YouTubers were assaulted by a mob for allegedly shooting an interview. The victims were identified as Ajay Anchan who runs the Kudla Rampage YouTube channel, Abhishek of United Media and Santhosh of Sanchari Studio. Another case was registered after a Suvarna News reporter was also attacked by individuals claiming to support the YouTubers. Two of the YouTubers’ vehicles were damaged, and their cameras were broken, with the memory card also reportedly destroyed. Cases have also been registered for unlawful assembly at three locations: Pangala, where police carried out a lathi charge; the Dharmasthala police station; and outside a private hospital in Ujire.
Ajay Anchan told a media house that he and his cameraperson Suhan were interviewing Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Rajat Kishan G, who had come to meet the family of Sowjanya—a young woman whose 2012 rape and murder remains unsolved. “We wanted an interview and they asked us to come to that spot. We were in the middle of interviewing them and around 25 people turned up,” he told The News Minute. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), DYFI, and Digital Media for Democracy have denounced the attacks on journalists. Karnataka CPI(M) secretary K Prakash urged swift action against those responsible and stressed the importance of upholding press freedom.