SSP Yuvaraj and DySP Ravi Singh from National Human Rights Commission on Monday visited and inspected the site near the road leading to Bahubali Betta in Dharmasthala, where the Special Investigation Team had earlier carried out a search operation.
Credit: DH Photo/Fakruddin H
Mangaluru: While the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues its probe into the mass burial case in Dharmasthala, a team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited Dharmasthala village on Monday to gather information.
The four-member NHRC team, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Yuvaraj and DySP Ravi Singh, visited the SIT office in Belthangady, the Dharmasthala gram panchayat office, and the Dharmasthala police station, where they collected case-related details from officials. They are also said to have recorded a statement from the complainant witness in the case.
SSP Yuvaraj, the team head, obtained from the Dharmasthala police station comprehensive details of unnatural death cases registered over the past decades.
A few NHRC officials visited the Dharmasthala gram panchayat office to gather information on unclaimed bodies buried in the village over the past decades.
They collected details on the number of labourers engaged for body burial during this period and whether all of them were still alive. The officials also visited the homes of some labourers who had buried the bodies to record their statements. Additionally, a sanitation worker currently employed by the gram panchayat was summoned to the panchayat office for collecting further details.
The NHRC team also inspected the site near the road to Bahubali Betta in Dharmasthala, where the SIT team had conducted an exhuming process on August 9.
Suo motu investigation
“We have not received any complaints about the case. On suo motu basis, we are examining and investigating," an NHRC official said.
“We will check whether the gram panchayat and local police disposed of unidentified bodies as per procedure and whether there were any lapses. We will record statements from the complainant witness, his advocates, his supporters, and those opposing the investigation. We will also review the direction in which the SIT probe is progressing. We plan to stay here for about four days to collect information from all angles, and may stay longer if needed,” the official added.