Dharmasthala mass burial case: 20 policemen appointed to SIT

The Karnataka government formed the SIT on Monday following growing demand from various quarters to investigate the claim of a civic worker who said he has buried hundreds of bodies of girls and young women in Dharmasthala.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has appointed 20 police officers and staff to assist the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala.

The government on July 19 formed the SIT headed by Pronab Mohanty, Director General of Police (Internal Security Division). The team also consisted of Deputy Inspector General of Police (Recruitment) MN Anucheth and IPS officers Soumyalatha SK and Jitendra Kumar Dayama.

In the latest order, the government has appointed CA Simon, an SP rank officer, two Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), five police inspectors (PIs), seven sub-inspectors (PSIs), one assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and four head constables (CHC).

The team, as per the order, consists of Lokesh DySP, CEN PS, Udupi; Manjunath, DySP, CEN PS, Dakshina Kannada; Manjunath - Police Inspector (PI), CSP; Sampath EC, PI, CSP; Kusumadhar, PI, CSP; Manjunath Gowda, PI, Sirsi Rural, Uttara Kannada; Savithru Tej PD, CPI, Byndoor, Udupi; Kokila Nayak, Police Sub Inspector (PSI), CSP; Violet Femina, PSI, CSP; Shiv Shankar, PSI, CSP; Raj Kumar Ukkali, PSI, Sirsi NM PS, Uttara Kannada; Suhas R, PSI (investigation), Ankola PS, Uttara Kannada; Vinod S Kallappanavar, PSI (investigation), Mundgod PS, Uttara Kannada; Gunapal J, PSI, MESCOM, Mangaluru; Subhash Kamath, ASI, Udupi Town PS; Harish Babu, Head Constable (CHC), Kaup PS, Udupi; Prakash, CHC, Malpe Circle office, Udupi; Nagaraj, CHC, Kundapura Town PS, Udupi; Devaraj, CHC and FMS, Chikkamagaluru.

“The unit officers concerned are directed to relieve these officers and staff to report before Pronab Mohanty, IPS, head of the SIT. The IGP, Western Range, shall ensure all logistic support for the SIT,” said MA Saleem, Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP), in the order.