MANGALURU: Exhumation of bodies at the alleged burial sites has been started by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at Dharmasthala village in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district in connection with the Dharmasthala case.
Labourers were taken to the spot where they were digging at the first spot identified by the complainant beside the Nethravathi bathing ghat.
Complainant was taken to the spot by the SIT officials, including International Security Division SP Jitendra Kumar Dayama, who is the investigating officer in the case, Puttur Assistant Commissioner (AC) Stella Varghese, and Belthangady tahsildar Pruthvi Sanikam.
Forensic Sciences Laboratory and Scene-of-Crime(SOCO) officials were also present. SIT sleuths are video documenting the entire exhumation process.
Before heading for the exhumation, a meeting was held under DIG M N Anucheth at the SIT office in Belthangady.
"We will check the veracity of his claims based on the outcome at the first spot itself. If not, we will keep on digging as we have 13 spots identified," an officer associated with SIT on condition of anonymity said.
He added, "We are also curious to know. Spot inspection of other spots he has claimed will be done after the exhumation process in already identified spots is completed."
The probe into the Dharmasthala mass burial case entered a crucial phase, with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on July 28 launched groundwork and the witness-complainant identified 13 sites where he claims to have buried or cremated bodies.
The team carried out a spot inspection of the alleged burial sites in Dharmasthala village, Belthangady taluk, Dakshina Kannada, in the presence of the whistle-blower amid heavy security.
He was first taken to the Nethravathi bathing ghat area where he showed a spot related to the case. He then led the SIT officials to an area densely covered with bushes and trees besides Nethravathi river and showed some alleged burial sites which were cordoned off by Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, officials from the revenue and forest departments and staff from the Land Records division.
As many as 13 alleged burial spots, including at Banglegudde on the Nethravathi riverbank and on the highway side, were marked during the inspection and cordoned off. Two Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) personnel are deployed at each spot. A drone was used to video document the alleged sites.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker had lodged a complaint on July 3 alleging that he was coerced to bury the bodies of victims of alleged rape and murders and based on his complaint, Dharmasthala police had registered a case on July 4. SIT was formed on July 19.
Sources in the SIT said the witness complainant is yet to show the spot where he claims to have exhumed skeletal remains by himself.