Karnataka: SIT begins site inspections to check allegations of 'mass burials' in Dharmasthala

A team of police officers from the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government to probe the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala, near Mangaluru, began its site inspections on Monday, 28 July, the police said.

Accompanied by land records officials, local police, and district authorities, the SIT, along with the complainant, visited multiple locations, including the bathing ghats of the Netravati river at the entrance to Dharmasthala.

The SIT took the former sanitation worker—who is also the witness and complainant in the case—to various locations as part of the investigation, the police said. The complainant also appeared before the SIT for a second round of questioning on 27 July.

The SIT, conducted a preliminary site inspection based on complaints lodged by local groups alleging that parts of the land may have been used for mass burials.

The inspection was ordered by Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. after the matter gained local and media attention.

The complainant has alleged that skeletal remains could be buried beneath a portion of the ghat area where excavation had reportedly been carried out in the past.

No remains were found during Monday's inspection, the police said, adding that a detailed investigation involving forensic experts would be conducted in the coming days.

The SIT was constituted by the state government to probe serious allegations of mass murder, sexual assault, and clandestine burials in Dharmasthala, reportedly spanning over two decades.

SIT chief Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police (Internal Security Division), joined the on-ground team to oversee the inspection and review the progress of the inquiry.

The SIT also includes Deputy Inspector General of Police (Recruitment) M N Anucheth and IPS officers Soumyalatha S K and Jitendra Kumar Dayama.

The case stems from the testimony of a former sanitation worker, whose identity remains undisclosed. He has alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was coerced into burying several bodies in Dharmasthala—some of which, he claimed, showed signs of sexual violence.