Dharmasthala: Two more claim to have witnessed burials, approach SIT

Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Dharmasthala mass burial case on Wednesday found no skeletal remains at the 13th site identified by the complainant-witness.

Meanwhile, two individuals told the media that they had approached the SIT, claiming to have witnessed the burial of bodies near the Netravathi bathing ghat in Dharmasthala village.

Purandara Gowda — an uncle of Sowjanya, whose murder case is linked to the ongoing investigation — said he ran a shop in Dharmasthala between 2003 and 2017.

“From my shop, I saw workers burying bodies. I recognised a person who looked like the complainant-witness and believe they are the same. The 13th site was just behind my shop, near a toilet. Sometimes, two to three people would bring a body in a car for burial. I never saw police or doctors present,” he told reporters.

Gowda said he was surprised no remains were recovered from sites 1 and 13. “The first site has been developed over the years. At that time, we were afraid to speak out. The SIT has now given us the courage to come forward,” he added. He said he met SIT Chief Pronab Mohanty on August 6 and later attempted to file a formal complaint at the Dharmasthala police station on August 8.

Tukaram Gowda, another villager, also confirmed seeing burials in the area and said he would provide complete details to the SIT.

According to SIT sources, excavation at the site went as deep as 16 feet but yielded no traces of human remains. The location, close to three electricity poles and a vented dam, was partially excavated due to site constraints. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was used on Tuesday to scan the area, but digging was carried out only in one portion identified by the witness.

The operation covered an area measuring 32 ft by 28 ft and continued until 6.30 pm before being halted due to darkness. Intermittent rain hampered the work, with both large and small earthmovers deployed. The complainant-witness was present to guide the excavation. Puttur AC Stella Varghese, SIT SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama, and forensic experts supervised the process.