Dharmasthala deaths: Lawyers urge CM Siddaramaiah to form SIT

Bengaluru: A delegation of advocates led by C S Dwarkanath and S Balan met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, urging him to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the reported mass rapes and murders in Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district.

In a letter submitted to the chief minister and signed by advocates C S Dwarkanath, Umapathi S, Sudha Katwa, and T Naramisha Murthy, the delegation highlighted that an eyewitness had given a confessional statement before a magistrate regarding the heinous crimes, and that an FIR had been filed. However, they expressed concern that the investigation was not progressing in accordance with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The letter raised alarm over reports that the crimes may have been committed by individuals with “significant political clout and influence,” and stressed the need for an impartial and rigorous investigation.

The delegation made five key suggestions to the chief minister, including the immediate formation of an SIT, deployment of comprehensive forensic support, and video documentation of the entire investigative process. They also called for a detailed crime pattern analysis and the prompt arrest and custodial interrogation of all persons implicated in the case.