Exhumation Drive Resumes in Dharmasthala
A senior SIT officer confirmed that the first site was excavated “using manual labour and later earth movers to the satisfaction of the informant and officials present.” However, by 6 pm, operations were halted after no human remains were found. “We have followed the standard procedure and ensured the digging was thorough. No recoveries were made at this spot today,” the officer said.
Drive to Resume on Wednesday
The exhumation drive is set to resume on Wednesday at the second site pinpointed by the informant, who had shown all 13 alleged burial spots to the SIT on July 28. The sites are located near the bathing ghat in Dharmasthala, a sacred pilgrimage town in Dakshina Kannada district. According to the informant, the bodies were buried in areas surrounding the forest trail beside the ghat.
Officials Marked Locations
Following the site visits, the SIT marked each location and stationed armed security personnel to guard them overnight. Approval to begin the exhumation was granted by Puttur assistant commissioner Stella Verghese, who arrived at the Dharmasthala police station on Tuesday morning. She was joined by forensic scientists from Udupi and other officials, including SIT second-in-command DIG MN Anucheth, superintendent of police (SP) Jithendra Kumar Dayama, and scene-of-crime experts.
Challenges Due to Heavy Rainfall
Labourers, along with SIT officials and the informant, began digging around 12.15 pm at the forested section to the left of the bathing ghat. Heavy rainfall in the region significantly slowed the digging operations. Water seeped into the site from underneath the soil, forming slush and complicating the excavation process.
Allegations and Investigation
This operation follows nearly a month after the man, who claimed to have worked as a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala for several years, submitted a detailed complaint to the authorities. The gravity of his allegations had led to the formation of a high-level SIT to investigate the matter.
Security Measures in Place
Security remains tight in Dharmasthala, with armed police deployment near the bathing ghat and surrounding forest area. Locals have been observing the developments with growing unease as the probe continues in one of Karnataka’s most prominent religious and cultural sites.
Authorities are vigilant as they work through the remaining marked locations, ensuring a thorough investigation on the allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala.
Stay tuned for more updates
