Shade nets covering the sites identified by complainant witness at Dharmasthala police station limits.
Credit: DH Photo / Fakruddin H
Mangaluru: Search operation resumed on Monday in the forest area along the banks of the Nethravathi River in Dharmasthala police station limits by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officers in the presence of the complainant witness.
The SIT accompanied by the complainant witness entered the forest near the Netravati bathing ghat and adjacent highway. So far 10 of the 13 identified spots have been dug to find traces of human remains. The 11th site was scheduled to be dug on Monday. However, although the team entered the forest area near the 11th spot, they did not carry out exhuming work there. Instead, the complainant witness was taken deeper into the forest. It remains unclear what developments took place within the forest.
Out of all the locations pointed out by the complainant witness, human remains have been recovered only at the sixth site, where a male skeleton was found. No human remains were found in the other nine sites.
Around 20 labourers were involved in the ongoing search operation on Monday. Puttur Stella Varghese and SIT Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Dayama were present at the location.
Meanwhile, SIT officials have asked Jayanth T, who had complained about a murder that allegedly occurred around 15 years ago in Dharmasthala village, to submit a complaint to the Dharmasthala police station.
He said that he will submit a complaint to the police and later the complaint will be transferred to the SIT as per the procedure. “I respect the law of the land. There are four to five people who have seen the dead body that was buried 15 years ago. They will come during the investigation as a witness.
He clarified that he is not targeting anyone or temple in his complaint. “I only want to inform you that the official had committed the mistake and action should be taken.”