Dharmasthala 'crimes' : Man records statement in court

Mangaluru: An individual, who had filed a complaint confessing to his involvement in the burial of bodies in many crimes in Dharmasthala, appeared before the Belthangady court along with his advocates on Friday evening. 

It is said that he has given his statement before the Belthangady Principal Civil Judge and JMFC. The issue first gained attention after letter from advocates Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande, stating that their client intended to approach Dharmasthala Police Station with information related to crimes in the area, was circulated widely on social media.

Based on a complaint and after obtaining the court’s permission, the Dharmasthala police had registered a case.  police, and the Karnataka government for ensuring his safety, they said.

Advocates Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande, in a statement, said the complainant’s deposition was recorded under Section 183 of the BNSS. “The complainant had specifically requested that one of us be present in court during the recording of his statement. He is illiterate, has never appeared in court before, and had expressed serious difficulty in understanding the process. We conveyed this to the court,” they said.

However, the court did not permit the advocates to be present in the hall, and proceeded with recording the complainant’s statement in their absence, the release added.