The Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to probe explosive allegations of mass burials and sexual assault in the temple town of Dharmasthala, conducted an extensive on-site inspection on Monday, led by a former sanitation worker who serves as both witness and complainant in the case. The inspection covered 15 locations believed to be linked to clandestine disposal of human remains.
The operation began at Snana Ghatta, along the Netravathi riverbank, where the informant had previously claimed to have unearthed a human skull. Accompanied by three advocates and under tight police security, the SIT team surveyed several spots reportedly used for illegal burials between 1998 and 2014.
Eight of the identified sites lie in sparsely inhabited areas along the river, four near the adjacent highway, one along the road to Aajukuri, and two in the Kanyadi region. The whistleblower, escorted by the Karnataka State Reserve Police and local law enforcement, also led officials to forested locations previously inaccessible to the public.
SIT chief Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police (Internal Security Division), personally participated in the verification and had questioned the complainant a day earlier. Officers confirmed that the witness’s detailed testimonies were recorded and video documented.
Authorities emphasized that no exhumations were conducted during this phase. “This is a location verification exercise,” a senior SIT officer said. “Forensic teams will be brought in before any excavation begins.”
The Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) has now been deployed to guard all identified sites amid rising public scrutiny and media attention.