Dharmasthala secret burials: SIT accompanies whistleblower for inspection near temple town

The mahazar took place amid heavy police presence as personnel from Dharmasthala and Belthangady police stations, and the Karnataka State Reserve Police were deployed around the spot. The process took place after SIT officials questioned the whistleblower for two consecutive days – Saturday and Sunday – regarding the allegations made by him. During the mahazar process, the complainant’s face was concealed with a mask to protect his identity.

Earlier this month, the whistleblower – a former sanitation worker employed at Dharmasthala – filed a police complaint saying he was forced to bury several bodies and was threatened against approaching the police. The complainant had said that he was suffering from ‘guilty consciousness’ and that many of the bodies he had buried were of women with signs of sexual assault.

The Dharmasthala police filed a First Information Report (FIR) on July 4 based on the complaint filed by the whistleblower. On July 19, succumbing to pressure from various organisations and activists, the Karnataka government formed an SIT to probe the sensational allegations levelled by the whistleblower.

Last week, the SIT set up an office at the Belthangady police station. Officials from SIT had also visited the Dharmasthala police station to collect relevant documents pertaining to the case.