More human skulls, skeletal remains found in Dharmasthala; search to continue tomorrow

MANGALURU: Two human skulls were found today in the Banglegudde forest area of Dharmasthala in the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka. Along with them, a skeleton and the identity card of a man from Kodagu, who had gone missing years ago, were also recovered. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) carried out the search for only three hours today, but will continue the search in the coming days.

With today's discovery, the total number of skulls recovered from the Banglegudde forest has risen to seven. Yesterday, five skulls and several bone fragments were found in different parts of the forest. The SIT has said that the skeletal remains will be sent for further examination to confirm whether they belonged to humans.

More details came out following the crucial revelation made by Chinnayya, a former sanitation worker of Dharmasthala. He had revealed that nearly 100 bodies were buried in Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014.

Earlier, excavation in the area had been stopped following a court order. Later, two Karnataka residents approached the court, arguing that Chinnayya had witnessed more bodies being buried in the forest. The Karnataka High Court then ordered fresh searches in the area.

The renewed search began yesterday across the 15-acre forest land. Besides bones, a saree, a rope tied around a tree branch, and a senior citizen identity card were also recovered from the area. All items will undergo detailed examination. The SIT is carrying out the search with the cooperation of forest department officials.

Investigators had earlier recovered a complete human skeleton and around 100 bone fragments from the area following Chinnayya's testimony. Out of 13 points he had identified, remains were found in 11, along with new evidence from a spot he later pointed out.