What Steps is the Karnataka Government Taking to Address Dharmasthala Mass Grave Allegations?

Bengaluru, July 20 (NationPress) In a significant move, the government of Karnataka, led by Siddaramaiah, has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) consisting of four senior IPS officers to investigate the suspected murders in Dharmasthala.

The creation of the SIT was urged by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice V. Gopala Gowda alongside several activists.

This situation is anticipated to incite controversy, especially given that Dharmasthala is a well-known Hindu pilgrimage site in Karnataka.

The order was issued by the Karnataka government on a Sunday, with Under Secretary S. Ambika directing it under the guidance of Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

The SIT will be helmed by Pronab Mohanty, the DGP of the Internal Security Department, and will include DIG (Recruitment) M.N. Anuchet, DCP (City Armed Reserve) Sowmyalatha, and Jitendra Kumar, the Superintendent of Police in the Internal Security Department.

As per the order, the State Women’s Commission, in its correspondence, brought to light the alleged burial of numerous corpses in the Dharmasthala area. A witness has come forward, recording a statement in court. The Commission has noted with concern media reports indicating the discovery of a skull and claims from the family of a missing medical student.

The order emphasizes, “The testimony from the unidentified individual points to horrific acts, including murder, rape, unnatural deaths, and the disappearance of many women and girl students over the last two decades. Consequently, there is a strong call for a fair investigation, necessitating an SIT led by senior police officials to examine cases of missing women and girl students, unnatural deaths, murders, and rapes.”

The government has asserted that forming the SIT is a fitting response to the request from the State Women’s Commission and the case lodged at the Dharmasthala Police Station under Section 211(a) of the BNS Act. The SIT will also explore any related criminal cases registered in other police precincts across the state.

The DGP and IGP have been instructed to allocate the required personnel for the SIT. The SIT is also mandated to keep the DGP and IGP informed regularly regarding the investigation's progress and is expected to present a comprehensive report addressing all related cases to the government via the DGP and IGP promptly.

Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had declared on Friday that his administration would not succumb to any external pressures concerning the investigation into the alleged murders in Dharmasthala.

In a notable development on July 11, an unidentified complainant claimed he was coerced into burying multiple bodies of women who were allegedly raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village. He appeared in court in Mangaluru district last Friday to provide his statement.

The individual delivered his statement under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) before Principal Civil Judge and First Class Judicial Magistrate Sandesh K.

Accompanied by a team of lawyers and police officials, he entered the courtroom with his face and upper body concealed. This revelation has ignited significant controversy.

He has requested the police to exhume the bodies in his presence and has sought protection for himself and his family.

According to his account, he escaped from Dharmasthala eleven years ago.

He alleged that the bodies of the women exhibited evident signs of sexual violence, found devoid of clothing and bearing injuries indicative of violent acts. These revelations have sent shockwaves across the state.

Retired Supreme Court judge V. Gopala Gowda and various activists have insisted that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) should monitor the case, under the auspices of the Supreme Court or the High Court.

The National Students Union of India has also called for an SIT investigation into the matter. Nagesh Kariyappa, the National General Secretary, has sent a letter to CM Siddaramaiah urging an SIT probe into the allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala based on the confession of a former sanitation worker.