Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara announced on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will soon launch a probe into shocking allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala, Dakshina Kannada district. The team, led by Director General of Police (Internal Security Division) Pronab Mohanty, includes DIG (Recruitment) M.N. Anucheth, and IPS officers Soumyalatha S.K. and Jitendra Kumar Dayama. Parameshwara stated, “We’ve instructed the SIT to head to Dharmasthala immediately and begin the investigation based on police records.”

The SIT was formed in response to public outcry and a whistleblower’s claims of mass murder, rape, and secret burials spanning 1995 to 2014. The whistleblower, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple, alleged he was coerced into burying numerous bodies, including those of women and minors showing signs of sexual assault, and gave a statement before a magistrate.

Addressing rumors that two SIT officers sought to withdraw for personal reasons, Parameshwara clarified, “No such requests have reached me. If anyone convinces the DG or Commissioner with valid reasons, they will be replaced, but all four officers remain on the team.” He also responded to claims of a 2018 report on unnatural deaths in Belthangady, stating he was unaware of it but would verify if an official report exists.

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The SIT, constituted on July 19 following demands from the Karnataka State Women’s Commission and activists, will probe all related cases across the state, with instructions to provide regular updates to the DGP. The allegations have sparked nationwide concern, putting the revered pilgrimage town under intense scrutiny.

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