SIT begins probe into mass burials in Dharmasthala amid new evidence

The SIT officers are visiting key sites in Dharmasthala, Karnataka, and preparing to question the anonymous complainant

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala, located in Dakshina Kannada district, officially began its inquiry on Saturday, according to a report by the Press Trust of India, quoting officials.

 

Senior officers reached the SIT's designated office, which has been set up at the Intelligence Bureau premises in Mallikatte. The team also visited several locations linked to the case, the report added.

 

Key officers in charge

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, MN Anucheth, who is overseeing the investigation, has arrived in Mangaluru. He is expected to lead a high-level meeting with over 20 officers and personnel assigned to the SIT, a senior police official told PTI.

 

Superintendent of Police, Jitendra Dayama, has been appointed as the investigating officer for the case, the official added.

 

Personnel from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts, including inspectors and sub-inspectors from Dharmasthala, Mulki, and Byndoor police stations, have been included in the investigation team.

Focus on anonymous complaint

The SIT may soon begin internal briefings and consider questioning the anonymous complainant who first raised the allegations. This questioning is expected to take place at the SIT office in Mallikatte under DIG Anucheth’s supervision.

 

Video recording arrangements have been made for documenting all interrogations and proceedings, according to the report.

 

Officials noted that the SIT is prepared to handle the investigation thoroughly from both procedural and legal perspectives.

 

The case stems from claims made in an anonymous complaint alleging mass burials near Dharmasthala. Due to the serious nature of the accusations, the Karnataka government had earlier this month set up the SIT to assess the authenticity of the complaint, identify those involved, and determine whether any laws were broken.

Missing girl’s sister offers to cooperate

Meanwhile, the sister of a 19-year-old girl, who went missing nearly four decades ago in Dharmasthala, has expressed her willingness to assist the SIT if the case is reopened.

 

Padmalatha, then a second-year pre-university student in Ujire, disappeared on December 22, 1986, after leaving for her college’s annual day event. Her skeletal remains were found nearly two months later, with her limbs bound — indicating possible foul play.

 

Chandravathy, her sister, told reporters that despite widespread public protests, there had been no progress in the case even after it was transferred to the CID. “The case was eventually closed with no resolution,” she said.

 

However, with the SIT now revisiting multiple high-profile cold cases in the region, she expressed hope. “If the SIT decides to reopen Padmalatha's case, I am ready to extend full cooperation,” she added.

 

The alleged discovery of unidentified graves in Dharmasthala has sparked fresh public and media interest in long-unsolved cases. As of now, authorities have not officially stated whether Padmalatha’s case will be reinvestigated.

BJP seeks transparent SIT probe

Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra on Wednesday called for a fair investigation into the mass burial allegations and cautioned against attempts to disrupt social harmony using the issue.

 

“The state government has formed an SIT, the investigation has to happen at the earliest. It is the wish of everyone that there has to be a transparent probe and the truth should come out. But the government should also take note and stop the attempts to destroy the atmosphere and the system there, using this issue, and the false propaganda that is happening,” Vijayendra told reporters.

 

He further added, “We too are aware of the conspiracies behind it. If any attempts are made to destroy the system there keeping this issue, we will think about what to do further.”

 

The SIT is led by Pronab Mohanty, director general of police (Internal Security Division), and includes DIG M N Anucheth along with IPS officers Soumyalatha SK and Jitendra Kumar Dayama.

Allegations by former sanitation worker

The SIT was formed following serious allegations involving mass murder, rape, and secret burials in Dharmasthala spanning the past two decades.

 

A former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been made public, claimed that he was employed in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. During that time, he said, he was forced to bury numerous bodies, including those of women and minors.

 

He alleged that some of the bodies bore signs of sexual assault. This individual has also submitted a statement before a magistrate supporting his claims.