SIT begins excavation at seventh site in Dharmasthala mass burial probe

Mangaluru: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Friday continued its search for human remains allegedly buried in the forest area near the Netravati River in Dharmasthala, in connection with an alleged mass burial case, under the jurisdiction of the Dharmasthala police station.

According to sources in the SIT, the team is currently digging the seventh location in the area, identified by the complainant-witness. The operation is being carried out in the presence of the complainant, with around 20 workers accompanying the SIT officials along with excavation machinery deep into the forest.

“So far, no signs of human remains have been found at the seventh site shown by the complainant witness,” SIT sources said.

Complaint-witness, Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese, and SIT Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Dayama are present at the site.

The complainant witness has reportedly shown 13 sites near the Nethravathi bathing ghat and forest adjacent to it. Of these, digging has been completed in six sites. On Thursday, skeletal remains of a male were recovered from the sixth site. No remains were found at the other five locations. The search operation continues under tight security and close supervision.

Based on the complaint of the complainant witness, Dharmasthala police had registered a case on July 4.

On July 11, the complainant witness appeared before a magistrate in the Belthangady court to record his statement under Section 183 of the BNSS , and handed over skeletal remains he claimed to have unearthed.

The state government constituted SIT on July 19 and the SIT officials recorded the statements of the complainant witness on July 25, 26 and 27 and on July 28, he showed 13 sites near the Netravathi bathing ghat in Dharmasthala,where the bodies were reportedly buried. The exhuming process in the sites commenced from July 29.