SIT halts excavation in Dharmasthala; further action to be taken after forensic test results come out

DHARMASTHALA: The Karnataka government has decided to halt the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) search for human remains in Dharmasthala. Home Minister G. Parameshwara made the announcement in the Assembly, following concerns raised by BJP legislators who had recently visited the temple town.

The SIT had earlier launched excavations at 17 identified spots based on information provided by a former sanitation worker. Skulls and bones recovered from a few locations were sent for forensic examination, and officials said that further steps would be taken only after the test results are received.

The whistleblower, who worked as a sanitation staffer from 1995 to 2014, had lodged a complaint on July 3, alleging that under threats from a supervisor, the bodies of several murdered women, girls, and mothers were secretly buried near the Nethravathi River bathing ghats and in nearby forests. He later gave a confidential statement before a court on July 11. With allegations mounting that the local police were not taking action, the case was transferred to the SIT on July 19.

The investigation, however, faced significant political pressure. Recently, BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP and Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Dr. Veerendra Heggade, visited the area. The BJP has dismissed the allegations and the probe as part of a larger conspiracy.