The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burial case in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala revisited a forested area near the Netravathi River on Wednesday, led by the anonymous complainant—a former sanitation worker—who sparked the investigation. The team, accompanied by heavy machinery and forensic experts, focused on a newly identified location, dubbed "Spot 11A," close to an earlier site where a human skull and bones were recovered on August 4. This marks a critical phase in the probe into chilling allegations of murders, sexual violence, and clandestine burials spanning 1995 to 2014.

The complainant, a 48-year-old Dalit man who worked at the Dharmasthala temple, alleges he was coerced under death threats to bury over 100 bodies, including women and minors, many bearing signs of sexual assault. On Wednesday, he guided the SIT, led by DGP Pronab Mohanty, to the new site in the dense Banglegudde forest, where workers cleared undergrowth and began excavation. The SIT, comprising IPS officers M.N. Anucheth, Soumyalatha, and Jitendra Kumar Dayama, is video-documenting the process, with forensic teams on standby for a detailed survey.

The investigation, triggered by the complainant’s July 3 complaint and skeletal remains he submitted on July 11, has excavated 11 of 15 identified sites. Partial skeletal remains were found at Site 6 on July 31, believed to be male, and a skull with bones at Site 11 on August 4. However, Sites 9 and 10 yielded no remains, raising questions about the complainant’s claims. A PAN card and RuPay debit card found earlier traced to a man from Nelamangala, Bengaluru, who died of jaundice and was cremated, complicating the probe. The SIT is considering ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to detect shifted remains, as urged by advocate N. Manjunath, representing Sujatha Bhat, whose daughter Ananya disappeared in 2003.

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Public outrage, fueled by historical protests over cases like the 2012 Sowjanya rape-murder, led to the SIT’s formation on July 19 after pressure from the Karnataka State Women’s Commission and activists. A second complainant, Jayanth T., reported witnessing an illegal burial 15 years ago, adding to the case’s complexity. Allegations of police coercion surfaced when advocate Ananya Gowda claimed a sub-inspector threatened the primary complainant to retract his statement, though the SIT denied this.

The probe faces criticism for transparency issues and a gag order—later lifted—imposed by a judge linked to the temple’s institutions. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has promised an impartial investigation, while temple authorities, led by Veerendra Heggade, welcomed the SIT’s efforts. With the Anti-Naxal Force deployed and a helpline (0824-2005301, WhatsApp: 8277986369) for public tips, the SIT is intensifying operations to uncover the truth behind Dharmasthala’s alleged dark history.

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