What Was Discovered at the 1st Burial Site in Dharmasthala?

Mangaluru, July 30 (NationPress) In a significant twist concerning the investigation into mass graves located at a renowned Hindu pilgrimage site in Karnataka's Mangaluru district, attorney Manjunath N. disclosed on Wednesday that sources indicated the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials have unearthed a torn red blouse and the PAN card of a woman at the initial burial site.

Manjunath N. represents Sujata Bhat, whose daughter, Ananya Bhat, a medical student, mysteriously vanished in the Dharmasthala area.

As of now, the SIT has not provided any official comments.

The SIT team has continued their excavation efforts at burial sites two, three, and four on Wednesday.

SIT Chief and Director General of Police, Pronab Mohanty, was scheduled to visit Mangaluru district on the same day to oversee the excavation and investigation regarding the mass burial incident.

He is expected to make a statement about the case's progress.

Notably, Manjunath revealed that the PAN card discovered at site number one is registered under the name Lakshmi.

This finding is particularly significant as previous reports suggested that nothing had been unearthed during the excavation of the first burial site.

Manjunath, who is backing the whistleblower in this case, released a statement praising the SIT's thorough and professional efforts at burial site number one.

"We have received confirmation from sources regarding the recovery of a torn red blouse, a PAN card, and an ATM card at a depth of approximately 2.5 feet at site No. 1 yesterday. Following this revelation, the SIT's subsequent actions deserve recognition," read the statement.

"The SIT's commitment to continuing the challenging task of excavating the site down to a depth of 10 feet demonstrates their professional dedication. This effort reflects a commitment to conducting a comprehensive search and ensuring no piece of evidence, no matter how minor, is ignored," it further stated.

"The discovery of identifiable items such as the PAN card and an ATM card (one associated with a male name and the other with a female name, Lakshmi) opens up avenues for further investigation, and we trust the SIT will prioritize these crucial leads with urgency," Manjunath expressed in his statement.

"The seriousness and diligence displayed by the SIT have instilled renewed hope in us. We fully trust their expertise as they continue their work at the remaining sites," he added.

The SIT, which is investigating the mass grave allegations at a significant Hindu pilgrimage site in Mangaluru district, is excavating three burial locations on Wednesday.

Given the sensitive nature of the situation, authorities have decided to accelerate the process and have established three teams to manage the excavation efforts.

These three burial sites are among the total of 13 locations identified by the whistleblower involved in the case.

On Tuesday, the SIT members excavated the first burial site near the Nethravathi bathing area.

Authorities dug to a depth of eight feet and a width of 15 feet; however, sources confirmed that no skeletons or skulls were found at the location.

The site was eventually refilled.

The complainant alleges he dug trenches approximately 3 to 3.5 feet deep to inter the bodies and claimed that the deceased women showed clear indications of sexual assault.

They were found without clothing or undergarments, bearing injuries indicative of violent acts.

These revelations have sent shockwaves across the state.

A retired Supreme Court judge and various activists have called for the SIT's investigation to be monitored by either the Supreme Court or the High Court to uncover the truth behind the alleged murders of numerous women in Dharmasthala.