Dharmasthala case: SIT documents materials unearthed during exhumation process

Mangaluru: Normalcy retuned to Dharmasthala after Thursday saw clashes among various groups and dharna in front of the police station

As a precautionary measure, police security increased at the Netravathy bathing ghat, Pangala road and surrounding places. Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP platoons) were also deployed as additional security. 

The exhumation process by Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala did not take place on Thursday and Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese returned from Beltangady.

Among the 13 locations identified by complainant-witness, the 13th location had not been dug.

"On Thursday SIT members focused on systematic documentation of evidences unearthed during the 10-day exhumation process and compiling reports," informed sources in SIT.

"SIT head and DGP (Internal Security Division and Cyber Command) Pronab Mohanty held closed door meetings with officials all day. The discussions focused on the next course of investigations, sources added.

One arrested in group clashes

 Dharmasthala police arrested 50 year-old Somanath Sapalya in a case related to the assault and damaging of cameras of YouTuber near Pangala cross in Dharmasthala on Wednesday evening.

Somanath was arrested in Kokkada and was remanded to 14-day judicial custody after being produced before a local court in Beltangady.

Following clashes between two groups and dharna in front of Dharmasthala police station, as many as seven cases were registered including three in Beltangady police station.

Dharmasthala police registered a suo moto case after having been forced to resort to a mild lathi charge in order to disperse two angry groups of youth who had gathered illegally at Pangal cross.

Another suo moto case was registered after hundreds of youth without obtaining prior permission had staged a dharna in front of Dharmasthala police station. 

Dharmasthala police registered a case under section 189 (2), 191 (2), 115(2), 110, 324 (3), 352, 351 (2) of BNS based after a complainant Pramod Kumar Shetty alleged that he was assaulted by over 40 people at Pangala cross. Based on the complaint of assault by a reporter of a channel, Beltangady police had registered a case. 

A counter complaint was filed by one Ganesh Shetty against channel reporter for allegedly abusing activists Girish Mattanavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody. Beltangady police also had registered a suo moto case against those who had illegally assembled before a private hospital in Ujire.