SIT likely to take up search at Point 13 in Dharmasthala with ground penetrating radar on Tuesday

MANGALURU: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burial case in Dharmasthala on Monday conducted a demonstration test of a drone-mounted ground penetrating radar (GPR) at the 13th identified spot near the Nethravathi dam. Exhumation at this point had been held up due to the presence of the Nethravathi dam neaby and two electricity police on the ground.

The SIT is expected to conduct a thorough search with the drone-mounted GPR on Tuesday for any human remains at the spot. Workers cleared grass and brambles at the spot on Monday for Tuesday’s checks.

Meanwhile, the anonymous complainant has claimed that he had buried bodies at 30 locations. For 30 years, he had been living at Bidara near the Nethravathi river. The SIT is also gathering information from retired police officers who were posted at Dharmasthala and Belthangady.

The police are also likely to issue notices to doctors who performed autopsies in unnatural death (UDR) cases between 1995 and 2014. The SIT is already going through documents related to Group-D workers who were employed by the gram panchayat during that time.