

MANGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) resumed exhumation of alleged burial sites in Dharmasthala village in connection with the mass burial case on Monday.
No exhumation took place on Sunday due to the unavailability of revenue and other department officials and staff. On the sixth day of exhumation on Monday, the SIT is expected to dig alleged burial spot numbers 11 and 12 identified by the witness-complainant, in search of any human remains.
Earlier on Saturday, the efforts of the SIT didn't yield any results at spot numbers 9 and 10, even after digging almost 8 feet using excavators. So far, out of the 13 alleged burial sites shown by the whistleblower, SIT has found human remains in only one of the sites.
At spot number 6, the SIT found partial human remains, including a few bones, broken skull pieces and two teeth, and the same has been sent for forensic analysis to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Manipal.
It may be recalled that the whistleblower has lodged a complaint with the Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police and at Dharmasthala police station, alleging that he was coerced into burying the bodies of victims of alleged rape and murder a decade ago in Dharmasthala village.
A case was registered at Dharmasthala police station on July 4, and the state government formed the SIT to investigate the case on July 19.