Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Dharmasthala murders has begun preparations to start excavation work on Tuesday at the 13th burial site in the temple town in Mangaluru, using drone-mounted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology. The development has gained significance as an unidentified complainant has claimed that he buried over a dozen bodies of women and girls who were allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered.

SIT personnel arrived at the site and inspected the location before flying a drone equipped with GPR over the area. Sources said the full-fledged operation will begin soon. In view of an earlier clash in Dharmasthala, heavy police security has been deployed at the site.

The 13th burial site, located very close to the Kindi Dam and the Netravathi River, has been cleared of bushes and plants to facilitate the GPR search. Sources added that tonnes of sand had been dumped at the location over the years for various reasons.

Meanwhile, members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), who arrived in Dharmasthala on Monday, continued their probe into the case on Tuesday as well.

The NHRC team has collected documents from the SIT and the Dharmasthala police station. They also visited the Dharmasthala Gram Panchayat office to gather information and inspected burial sites in the temple town.

Sources confirmed that the NHRC team will remain in Dharmasthala for four days and carry out investigations at various locations in Belthangady taluk of Mangaluru district.

SIT Chief, DGP Pronab Mohanty, is expected to monitor today’s excavation operations. The completion of digging at the 13th burial site will mark the end of the first phase of the probe.

In a major development on July 11, an unidentified complainant — who claimed he had been forced to bury the bodies of women and girls who were raped and murdered in Dharmasthala — appeared before a court in Mangaluru district and recorded his statement.

He requested that the bodies be exhumed in his presence and alleged that the victims bore clear signs of sexual assault. According to him, the bodies were found without clothing or undergarments and had injuries consistent with violent sexual abuse.

These revelations have sent shockwaves across Karnataka.

Following the claims, a retired Supreme Court judge and several activists have demanded a Supreme Court or High Court-monitored SIT probe into the alleged Dharmasthala murders, which may involve the deaths of multiple women, girls, and destitute men.

Earlier, SIT Chief Mohanty had stated that no significant material had been recovered from the previously excavated sites. However, later reports indicated that a torn red blouse and a PAN card belonging to a woman named Lakshmi were recovered from the first burial site.

In addition, the whistleblower reportedly submitted a skull — allegedly recovered from one of the burial sites —to the SIT.

On August 7, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara had confirmed that the SIT probing the alleged mass grave case has recovered a male skeleton and other bones during the excavation and they have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

–IANS

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