Action will be taken against those responsible for clash in Dharmasthala: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that action will be taken in accordance with the law against those responsible for clashes between two groups near Dharmasthala on August 6.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said there were both complaints and counter complaints in connection with Wednesday's incident, and police have been asked to investigate thoroughly and submit a report.

Speaking to reporters, the CM said, "Whoever has committed a wrong, action will be taken in accordance with the law." Four men, representing three YouTube channels, including a cameraman, were attacked by a mob near Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday evening, when they were interviewing a person, amid an ongoing probe by SIT into the alleged mass burial case, police said.

The incident occurred close to the residence of a college-goer, who was raped and found dead in 2012 in Dharmasthala town.

Following the incident at Pangal Cross on Wednesday, two groups started abusing and pelting stones on each other. The police tried to pacify the mob, but when it showed signs of escalation, they resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse them.

One group, later in the night, had staged a protest in front of the Dharmasthala police station demanding action against those "tarnishing the image of the holy place".

Parameshwara said he had got information about a clash between two groups near Dharmasthala, and that he has asked for a report to be submitted after inquiring into why it had happened, who is responsible, and what their intention was.

"There seems to be some kind of conflict there. Why is it happening? We don't know," he said while speaking to reporters.

Stating that the government, after careful consideration, following demands, constituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe "mass burial" claims, the home minister said there were magisterial instructions too. The complainant-witness had claimed that he had buried a number of bodies while making a statement before the magistrate under section 164 of CrPC.

Based on the 13 locations identified by the complainant-witness, the SIT, as part of the probe, has conducted exhumations. "Skeletal remains of a male were discovered at the sixth location and it has already been reported in the media and nothing was found at other locations, other than some skeletal remains being found at a some other place near a hill. All those remains have been sent to FSL by the SIT," he said.

Further noting that there were a clash between two groups near Dharmasthala yesterday, Parameshwara said, "Complaints and counter complaints have come from both sides. Cases will be registered, inquiry will be conducted, and action will be taken accordingly." Responding to a question about false information being spread and provocative statements being made in connection with the case, while the probe is on, the home minister said what comments others make is not important. What is important is the SIT has to conduct a probe technically and bring the truth out, and they are doing their job.

SIT will decide on the further course of the probe and the government will not interfere and give any instructions, he clarified.

The SIT was constituted by the state government to probe into claims about alleged mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala, over the past two decades.

A former sanitation worker, whose identity has not been revealed, has claimed that he worked in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014, and that he was forced to bury a number of bodies, including those of women and minors, in Dharmasthala.

He had alleged that some of the bodies showed signs of sexual assault. He has also given a statement before a magistrate in this regard.