MANGALURU: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) summoned the witness-complainant in the Dharmasthala mass burial case for questioning for the second consecutive day on Sunday. His statement was recorded at the SIT camp office at PWD Inspection Bungalow at Mallikatte, Kadri in Mangaluru.
The complainant arrived at the SIT office along with his legal counsel at around 10.30am and appeared before the SIT team. After recording his statements, he left the SIT office at 6.15pm.
SIT chief DGP Pronab Mohanty also arrived at the SIT office around 11.45 am and joined the investigation. Later in the evening, Mohanty and DIG MN Anucheth visited the SIT office next to the Belthangady police station.
SIT sources said the whistleblower made a detailed statement on the bodies he claims to have buried and the SIT will proceed further based on his statement.
“We will go ahead with the further procedure without any delay. We hope to visit Belthangady on Monday and start the groundwork. It’s a long complaint and his questioning is expected to continue on Monday too. He has mentioned many spots where he said he has buried bodies,” an officer associated with SIT told TNIE.
Once the questioning of the witness-complainant is completed, SIT sleuths are likely to visit the burial site where he claims to have exhumed skeletal remains of a victim and the spot mahazar is expected to be conducted at the alleged burial sites.
The complainant, said to be a former sanitation worker, had filed a complaint with the Dakshina Kannada superintendent of police and Dharmasthala police station, alleging that he was threatened into burying the bodies of victims of rape and murder in Dharmasthala village and surrounding areas.
A case was registered at the Dharmasthala police station on July 4. A week later, he appeared before the Belthangady court and recorded his statement. He also produced the skeletal remains that he claimed to have exhumed himself. The remains were seized by the police in front of his advocates and panch witnesses.
