What New Developments Have Emerged in the Karnataka Mass Burial Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Excavation at the mass burial sites continues for the fourth day.
- Significant discoveries include bones and a skull.
- The investigation aims to uncover the identities and causes of death of the deceased.
- The whistleblower has provided crucial information regarding the burial sites.
- Transparency and impartiality in the investigation are crucial for justice.
Mangaluru, Aug 1 (NationPress) The Special Investigation Team (SIT), delving into the mass burial case, has been excavating the suspected sites adjacent to the banks of the River Nethravathi, situated within a Hindu pilgrimage site in Karnataka's Mangaluru district, for the fourth day in a row on Friday.
SIT sources have indicated that between 10 and 12 bones, presumed to belong to limbs, have been unearthed. Additionally, a skull bone was also found.
This finding may represent a crucial turning point in the ongoing inquiry regarding claims of mass graves in the temple town. The whistleblower and complainant had previously pinpointed a total of 13 potential mass burial locations.
Excavation efforts at the seventh site commenced on Friday, with the area shielded by a green screen to ensure security and privacy.
Reports indicated that the whistleblower asserted to have interred around eight bodies at these specific sites. However, the SIT has yet to issue an official announcement regarding this matter.
SIT Chief Pronab Mohanty was present in Mangaluru on Thursday to supervise the investigation and track progress.
He is slated to meet Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Bengaluru on Friday to provide an update on the case and address his name being considered for central deputation.
In the meantime, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Jagadish Shettar emphasized on Friday in Belagavi that the SIT must conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation. He highlighted the necessity of identifying the deceased and determining the cause of their deaths.
"An anonymous individual has claimed that hundreds of bodies were buried. The investigation should reveal the truth," Shettar stated.
Previously, SIT Chief Mohanty had remarked that no significant evidence had been recovered from earlier excavated sites. However, later reports suggested that a red, tattered blouse and a Permanent Account Number card belonging to a woman named Lakshmi were found at the first burial site.
Furthermore, the whistleblower reportedly submitted a skull, allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites, to the SIT.
In a significant turn of events on July 11, the unidentified complainant, who claimed he was coerced into burying the bodies of women and girls who had been raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his testimony.
According to him, the bodies were discovered without clothing or undergarments and bore wounds consistent with violent sexual assault.