The Particular Investigation Staff (SIT) fashioned to probe the alleged secret burials at Dharmasthala Monday took the whistleblower to areas across the Karnataka temple city the place the our bodies are stated to have been buried.
The crew performed a spot mahazar (inspection) of the placement the place the whistleblower had dug up a cranium, which he had handed over to investigating authorities whereas submitting a grievance earlier this month. This was aside from marking different spots round Snana Ghatta (bathing ghat), situated on the banks of River Netravati, the place the our bodies have been allegedly buried by him, in keeping with sources.
The mahazar occurred amid heavy police presence as personnel from Dharmasthala and Belthangady police stations, and the Karnataka State Reserve Police have been deployed across the spot. The method occurred after SIT officers questioned the whistleblower for 2 consecutive days – Saturday and Sunday – relating to the allegations made by him. In the course of the mahazar course of, the complainant’s face was hid with a masks to guard his id.
Earlier this month, the whistleblower – a former sanitation employee employed at Dharmasthala – filed a police grievance saying he was pressured to bury a number of our bodies and was threatened in opposition to approaching the police. The complainant had stated that he was affected by ‘responsible consciousness’ and that most of the our bodies he had buried have been of ladies with indicators of sexual assault.
The Dharmasthala police filed a First Data Report (FIR) on July 4 primarily based on the grievance filed by the whistleblower. On July 19, succumbing to strain from numerous organisations and activists, the Karnataka authorities fashioned an SIT to probe the sensational allegations levelled by the whistleblower.
Final week, the SIT arrange an workplace on the Belthangady police station. Officers from SIT had additionally visited the Dharmasthala police station to gather related paperwork pertaining to the case.