Dharmasthala mass burial case: Exhumation process begins

Mangaluru: The process of exhumation in connection with the Dharmasthala mass burial case has commenced in the spots shown by the complainant witness, in Dharmasthala on Tuesday.

Despite heavy rains, a group of seven to eight labourers began digging in a forest area near the Netravathi River beside the Dharmasthala bathing ghat, where the bodies are said to have been buried.

The complainant witness with his face covered, along with SIT officials including Internal Security Division SP Jithendra Kumar Dayama, Puttur AC Stella Varghese, and Belthangady Tahsildar Prithvi Sanikam are at the spot along with Scene-of-Crime Officers and forensic sciences laboratory personnel. A legal team accompanied the complainant witness to the site.

SIT personnel are also video-recording the exhumation process.

Before the exhumation process began, a meeting was held at the SIT office in Belthangady under the leadership of DIG M N Anucheth, where officials discussed the next steps in the investigation.

On Monday, the witness had shown 13 spots near the Netravathi bathing ghat to SIT officers. These sites were geo-tagged and marked with barrier tapes and serial numbers for identification.

Armed police have been deployed near the suspected sites. Officers and personnel from the Garuda Force and Special Action Force are providing security for the operation. KSRP personnel have also been deployed at the spot.