Dharmasthala Mass Burial Mystery: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) joined the ongoing investigation into the Dharmasthala mass burial allegations in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, on Tuesday. A four-member team from NHRC reached Belthangady taluk. Senior Superintendent of Police Yuvaraj-led NHRC team, during initial consultations, gathered records of unnatural death cases spanning decades.
They are scheduled to visit critical local institutions, including the Gram Panchayat office, the local police station, the Dharmasthala temple premises, and the SIT (Special Investigation Team) office. The probe is expected to last four to five days.
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How Has Mystery Around Dharmasthala Grown?
The story stemmed out from a claim made by a sanitation worker. He claimed that he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years in Dharmasthala, triggering outrage among locals. The complainant-witness claimed he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014 and was forced to bury multiple bodies, including those of women and minors. He alleged that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault and had given a statement before a magistrate.
SIT To Use GPR Technology For Site Scan
Meanwhile, the SIT probing the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala has been conducting a site examination at ‘spot number 13’ using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology.
The SIT has deployed a high-capacity drone equipped with radar imaging to scan the location and detect any objects buried underground. The radar will provide live images of sub-surface anomalies, the sources said. SIT chief Pranab Mohanty arrived in Mangaluru earlier today before proceeding to the SIT office in Belthangady. Mohanty is likely to visit the site along with the complainant and his legal counsel.
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Focus On ‘Spot Number 13’
Officials said the GPR examination is being carried out in the presence of the complainant and his lawyer to ensure transparency. The move is expected to help uncover crucial evidence related to the case. The SIT has identified ‘spot number 13’ as a key location in its ongoing probe, and investigators believe the radar scan could provide significant leads in resolving the matter.
Karnataka Govt Grants Police Powers To SIT
On August 11, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said the SIT probing the “mass burial” case in Dharmasthala has been granted police station powers. This allows anyone with complaints related to the case to approach the SIT directly for registration.
(With PTI inputs)