Dharmastala: A special investigation team (SIT) Investigated the allegations of secret burial in the Dharmasthala area of Kannada in Karnataka, recovered partial skeleton residues from a site identified by a former sanitation worker, officials said on Thursday.
This is the first confirmed recovery as SIT started excavation at 13 places listed by the complainant on July 29, who alleged that the bodies were buried without a document in a period of about two decades.
Officials said about 15 bones were recovered due to excavation on the sixth site on 31 July. “Some bones were broken. No skulls were found on the site,” an official said. “A forensic doctor, who examined the remains at the location, offered an initial opinion that he was probably likely to human bones, possibly of a male. But a final conclusion would be prepared only after a detailed laboratory analysis.”
Located in a wooden area near the Citravati River, the site was the sixth of the 13 of the 13 marked by the complainant during a site on July 28 with the SIT.
The 48 -year -old man, who had previously worked as a hygiene worker, claimed that he was aware of more than 100 unspecified burials made between 1995 and 2014. He contacted by sitting with details of hand -prepared sketches and buried places, most of which are in and around the shrine.
Before the remains of the partial skeleton were found, five sites were dug from 28 to 30 July without any discovery of human remains. The official said, “The area around the sixth site is challenging. The dense vegetation and the proximity to the river have slowed down the excavation work.”
Forensic personnel and crime visual investigators present on the site documented the exact location and position of each bone before sending them for forensic testing. Stela Varghese, Assistant Commissioner of Putur Deputy Development also visited the site.
With efforts of proclamation, the SIT is also chasing the material recovered during the earlier stages of excavation. On the first site, the officers received a PAN card and a debit card. Investigators discovered a PAN card to a person named Suresh from Nelamangala in Bangalore Rural District.
“Suresh died in March this year. His father confirmed us that his funerals were held in his original village. Our investigation shows that he could visit Dharmasthala before his death and lose his documents,” SIT officer said.
The Rupay Debit Card recovered from the same site was that of the man’s mother. The official said, “He is alive and was physically verified during our investigation,”
Now with the first tangible evidence to be recovered, SIT plans to continue digging on the remaining seven sites in the next days. Officials say that this process will be cautious and organized due to the sensitive nature of the case and difficult environmental conditions, including rain and underground water leakage.
“We are assuming each site as a separate scene and everything is documented carefully. To draw the conclusion, but we are not deciding anything,” said the SIT officer.
Sit is led by Pranav Mohanty, Director General of Police, Internal Security Division, Bengaluru. Other members of the team included MN Anucheth, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Recruitment; Saumyalatha, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Car Headquarters, Bangalore City; And Jitendra Kumar Dayama, Superintendent of Police, Internal Security Division, Bengaluru.
The government said in an order on July 19 that it was creating SIT for women after a recommendation for women for the Karnataka State Commission. The panel’s appeal was based on a media report on July 12, a family complaint about the testimony of his missing daughter and a cleanliness worker’s court, which claimed to be buried several bodies in the temple city. According to the Commission, the report and the oath statement “indicate that for more than 20 years, for more than 20 years, many women and women and women students have been involved in the disappearance of more than 20 years, attacks, murder, rape, unnatural deaths”.
According to the government’s order, the SIT will investigate the crime number 39/2025 registered under Section 211 (A) of BNS at Dharmasthala Police Station. This seating will work outside the South Kannada District Police Office. It is directed to provide regular updates to DGP and IGP.
The origin of the case introduced a cleanliness worker back to the Dharmasthala, who filed a police complaint on 3 July, claiming that the bodies of several women were buried, who were allegedly raped and murdered. His statement was recently recorded before a magistrate, and an FIR was filed.
