Karnataka mass burial case: SIT continues digging work at suspected sites for 4th day

Mangaluru, Aug 1 The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the mass burial case, is digging up the suspected sites located near the banks of the River Nethravathi, at a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Karnataka's Mangaluru district for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.

According to SIT sources, 10 to 12 bones, believed to be of hand and leg, were retrieved from the location. A skull bone was also recovered.

This discovery could mark a significant turning point in the ongoing investigation into allegations of mass graves in the temple town. The whistleblower and complainant in the case had earlier identified a total of 13 suspected mass burial sites.

Digging work at the seventh site began on Friday, with the area covered using a green screen for security and privacy.

Sources revealed that the whistleblower claimed to have buried around eight bodies at these particular sites. However, no official statement has yet been issued by the SIT in this regard.

SIT Chief Pronab Mohanty was in Mangaluru on Thursday to oversee the investigation and monitor progress.

He is scheduled to meet Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara in Bengaluru on Friday to brief him on the case. He is also expected to discuss his name being shortlisted for central deputation.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister and BJP MP Jagadish Shettar stated on Friday in Belagavi that the SIT must ensure a fair and impartial investigation. He emphasised that the identities of the deceased must be determined, and the cause of their deaths must be established.

"An unknown individual has claimed that hundreds of bodies were buried. The investigation must uncover the truth," Shettar said.

Earlier, SIT Chief Mohanty had stated that no significant material had been recovered from the previously excavated sites. However, reports later surfaced indicating that a red, torn blouse and a Permanent Account Number card belonging to a woman named Lakshmi were recovered from the first burial site.

In addition, the whistleblower reportedly submitted a skull, allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites, to the SIT.

In a major development on July 11, the unidentified complainant, who claimed he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala village, appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement.

According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse.

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