Bengaluru, Nov 21 (NationPress) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the shocking mass grave case at the Dharmasthala Hindu pilgrimage site has presented a preliminary charge sheet comprising 3,932 pages to the Belthangady JMFC Court, according to police reports on Friday. The investigative body has requested additional time to finalize their probe and is also asking the court for guidance on the subsequent actions required in the investigation.

In addition to submitting the charge sheet, the SIT has articulated its need for the court's direction regarding the next steps in the inquiry. The court has acknowledged the request and is expected to issue directives on Friday.

Investigating Officer Jitendra Kumar Dayama delivered the charge sheet on Thursday and requested extra time for the investigation's completion. This preliminary charge sheet, organized into seven files, consists of 3,932 pages that have been submitted to the court.

The SIT has incorporated the statement from the detained suspect Chinnayya, also known as the 'mask man', along with records from the crime scenes, details of grave excavations from over 17 locations, and testimonies from individuals who interacted with him, including activists Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi, Girish Mattannanavar, T. Jayanth, and Vittal Gowda.

The SIT has also documented the statement of Sujatha Bhat, who initially reported her daughter as missing in the Dharmasthala area but later claimed she had no daughter and stated she acted under the influence of activists.

Furthermore, the SIT has notified the court of its intent to question Mahesh Shetty Thimarodi and others. Some questioning of suspects remains outstanding, and a lab report has yet to be received. Thus, the SIT has requested more time to proceed with the investigation, indicating that a comprehensive charge sheet will follow upon completion.

Reacting to this, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara remarked in Bengaluru on Thursday, “We have granted permission for the SIT to submit the charge sheet in the Dharmasthala case. It is the SIT's discretion to determine the submission timing. They are expected to file it within 90 days of the FIR, and they will do so.”

He refrained from disclosing further specifics, saying, “Once the charge sheet is submitted, they will relay the information to the government. All details will be revealed then. They will also brief the government -- after all, it was the government that established the SIT.”

Parameshwara mentioned that there was extensive discussion regarding the case in the last assembly session. “We have to provide information to the House,” he stated. “After the report is submitted, we will be aware of all the details -- what conspiracy occurred, who was accountable. We will present the findings in the legislature during the upcoming winter session.”

As per reports, additional evidence such as photographs, videos, and statements has been included in the charge sheet.

The SIT has compiled separate statements from all parties involved. The details surrounding the complaint filed on June 22 and the four-month investigation have been assembled and included in the charge sheet.

It is noteworthy that on July 11, the masked man Chinnaiah, who claimed he was coerced into burying the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in the Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and provided his statement.

He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence, alleging that the victims displayed evident signs of sexual assault.

According to him, the bodies were found unclothed or without undergarments and bore injuries indicative of violent sexual abuse. Additionally, the arrested whistleblower reportedly provided a skull, allegedly retrieved from one of the burial sites, to the SIT.

He has been granted protection under the Witness Protection Act, and necessary arrangements have been made.

In light of these allegations, a retired Supreme Court judge and several activists have called for a Supreme Court or High Court-supervised SIT investigation into the supposed Dharmasthala murders, which may involve the deaths of numerous women, girls, and destitute men.

Subsequently, on August 23, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) apprehended the unidentified complainant, also known as the “mask man,” in connection with the Dharmasthala case. The complainant was arrested on accusations of providing false information related to the case. SIT officials, after interrogating him for over 15 hours, determined that he had been misleading the authorities.

On August 7, state Home Minister Parameshwara confirmed that the SIT investigating the alleged mass grave case in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Mangaluru district recovered a male skeleton and human bones from the identified burial sites, which have since been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).