Dharmasthala: Partial Skeletal Remains Discovered At 6Th Site In Karnataka's Mass Burial Case

(MENAFN- Live Mint) In a major development in the mass burial case in Karnataka, partial skeletal remains were discovered at site number 6 in Dharmasthala during the exhumation process. This is the first site in the ongoing investigation to reveal such evidence, a Hindustan Times report stated.

Authorities have confirmed the discovery and noted that the case is evolving, the report added.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Dharmasthala in the Dakshina Kannada district, amid concerns over witness safety and possible tampering of evidence.

The case stems from the testimony of a former sanitation worker, whose identity remains undisclosed, who alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was coerced into burying several bodies in Dharmasthala, some of which, he claimed, showed signs of sexual violence.

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On Tuesday, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) began exhuming suspected human remains in a forested area near the Netravati bathing ghat, amid tight security following serious allegations of mass burials, police said.

The operation was launched in the presence of the complainant, who had earlier pinpointed specific locations allegedly used for illegal burials, they said.

Forensic specialists Dr Jagadish Rao and Dr Rashmi from KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, assisted the team in scientifically recovering skeletal remains, according to police site had been marked during an initial inspection conducted on Monday.

The exhumation process began early Tuesday under the supervision of Puttur Assistant Commissioner Stella Varghese, with the help of around a dozen labourers, and continued into the late afternoon.

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Senior officials, including Deputy Inspector General of Police (Recruitment) MN Anucheth, SIT Investigating Officer Jitendra Dayama and Beltangady Tahsildar Prithvi Sanikam were also present at the site. Personnel from the Revenue, Forest, Forensic, Anti-Naxal Force, Internal Security, and local police departments provided support and security.

Twenty police personnel-including inspectors, sub-inspectors, head constables, and constables-from Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada districts have been deployed to support the investigation.

(With inputs from agencies and Hindustan Times)

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