BENGALURU:Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) will “thoroughly” probe all the criminal cases registered in the Dharmasthala police station in the Stae related to the mass burial case.
The development comes following a letter from the Karnataka State Women’s Commission (KSWC) which requested a “comprehensive and impartial investigation into the case.”
“The special investigation team will thoroughly investigate all criminal cases registered at the Dharmasthala police station, as well as those registered or to be registered at other police stations in the state related to this matter, and submit a report”, Siddaramaiah’s ‘X’ post said.
The Karnataka CM stated that in Dharmasthala there have been claims related to hundreds of bodies being buried including a media report revealing the discovery of a human skull in the region.
“In the Dharmasthala region, an individual has recorded a statement in court claiming that hundreds of bodies have been buried, and local as well as national media have broadcast reports about the discovery of a human skull and statements from the family of a missing medical student. There is a possibility that unnatural deaths, murders, rapes, and other serious crimes may have occurred in this area”, Siddaramaiah wrote on ‘X’.
ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ನೂರಾರು ಶವಗಳನ್ನು ಹೂತಿರುವುದಾಗಿ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿಯೊಬ್ಬರು ನ್ಯಾಯಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ದಾಖಲಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಸ್ಥಳೀಯ ಹಾಗೂ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಮಾಧ್ಯಮಗಳು ಮನುಷ್ಯನ ತಲೆಬರುಡೆ ದೊರಕಿದ ಸ್ಥಳ ಹಾಗೂ ನಾಪತ್ತೆಯಾದ ವೈದ್ಯಕೀಯ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿನಿಯ ಕುಟುಂಬದವರ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರಸಾರ ಮಾಡಿವೆ. ಈ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಸಹಜ ಸಾವುಗಳು, ಕೊಲೆ,… pic.twitter.com/TArRdGZcU2
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 20, 2025
“Considering all these possibilities, the State Women’s Commission has urged the state government to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the case. Following their request, a special investigation team comprising four IPS officers has been formed and ordered to proceed”, his post added.
A complaint has been filed with the Dharmasthala Police alleging the secret disposal of multiple bodies in the village of Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple, ridden with remorse, whose identity remains confidential for security reasons, has expressed willingness to cooperate with authorities if provided legal protection for himself and his family.
According to the complaint filed at the Superintendent of Police’s (SP) office, the individual claims to have been involved in the disposal of several bodies under threat. Overwhelmed by guilt, the whistleblower has now come forward, offering to share detailed information about those involved and the specific locations where the bodies were disposed of, conditional upon assurance of safety.
The complaint has been formally registered at the office of the Superintendent of Police and the Dharmasthala Police Station. Following due process and obtaining necessary court permission, a case was registered on July 4, under Section 211(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The matter is currently under investigation, and further action will be determined based on the findings. (ANI)
