Skeletal Remains Unearthed at New Site in Dharmasthala Mass Burial Probe

Dharmasthala (Karnataka): The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala, has recovered multiple skeletal remains from a newly identified location, according to police sources.

Acting on fresh input from an anonymous whistleblower, the SIT paused operations at the 11th officially marked site and shifted its focus to an unexamined area known as Banglegudde. This location, situated on a high ridge roughly 100 feet above the surrounding terrain, has already yielded several human bones, including skulls, officials said.

The SIT is investigating claims of illegal burials allegedly carried out between 1995 and 2014. The team has secured Unnatural Death Report (UDR) documents covering this period. Although many earlier records had reportedly gone missing or were tampered with at the Belthangady police station, orders issued by SIT chief and Director General of Police (DGP) Pranab Mohanty soon after the team was constituted helped preserve crucial evidence.

Police confirmed that the recently exhumed remains have been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis to determine the age, sex, and likely cause of death of the deceased. Similar tests are underway on remains found at Site No. 6 on July 31.

Earlier efforts to retrieve evidence from four other sites, designated 7 through 10, had proved inconclusive, adding pressure on the newly discovered site. Some personnel involved in the Banglegudde exhumation sustained minor injuries due to the rough terrain, police said.

In what is being termed one of the largest forensic investigations in Karnataka’s history, the SIT has urged citizens who had earlier filed complaints or shared relevant information to continue cooperating. Officials noted that recovering as many remains as possible is critical to the inquiry.

The investigation is being conducted under tight secrecy, with operations evolving in response to new leads.

The SIT was established by the Karnataka government following shocking allegations involving mass murder, sexual assault, and illegal burials spanning nearly two decades in Dharmasthala.

The initial complaint came from a former sanitation worker, whose identity remains confidential. He claimed he was employed in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014 and was coerced into burying numerous bodies, many of which, he alleged, showed signs of sexual abuse. His sworn statement has been recorded before a magistrate as part of the ongoing probe.