Dharmasthala Mass Grave Case: Sanitation Worker Arrested

Karnataka: A former sanitation worker who had accused several people of mass rapes and murders in Dharmasthala, Karnataka, has been arrested. He was recently questioned by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Pranab Mohanty. The Karnataka Police's SIT arrested him on charges of providing false information and submitting fabricated evidence.

The complainant had alleged that between 1995 and 2014, over a hundred victims of sexual abuse and murder were secretly buried in various parts of Dharmasthala under threats and coercion. He had initially filed the complaint at the Dharmasthala police station. When no substantial action was taken, he approached the court directly and submitted both his statement and supporting evidence.

On July 3rd, he filed a complaint stating that he had been forced to dispose of the bodies of victims allegedly murdered or sexually assaulted during that time. On July 11th, he appeared before a magistrate, gave a formal statement, and handed over skeletal remains, claiming he had personally unearthed them.

After hours of interrogation, the complainant was taken to a hospital for medical examination before the arrest was formally recorded.

The Karnataka state government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) following his serious allegations about numerous bodies being secretly buried in Dharmasthala. So far, investigators have conducted excavations at 17 different sites. Remains have only been recovered from Site No. 6 and beneath a tree near Site No. 11.