MANGALURU: As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues exhumation operations in the chilling Dharmasthala mass burial case, it has launched a public helpline urging citizens to come forward with any relevant information.
So far, skeletal remains are yet to be recovered from five of the 13 sites identified by a whistleblower, even as inclement weather and hilly terrain pose major challenges to the ongoing search.
In a press communiqué, the SIT said that citizens can contact the team between 10 am and 5 pm at its temporary office at the Inspection Bungalow in Mallikatte, Kadri, Mangaluru. Information can also be shared via WhatsApp on 8277986369, by telephone at 0824-2005301, or through email at sitdps@ksp.gov.in.
The SIT was formed on July 19, following the registration of a case at Dharmasthala police station on July 4. The complaint is based on shocking revelations by a whistleblower, himself a former sanitation worker, who claimed he was forced to bury multiple victims of alleged rape and murder a decade ago in Dharmasthala village.
So far, no human remains have been found at the five sites excavated. The SIT has faced multiple hurdles, especially due to heavy and continuous rainfall in the forested, hilly terrain close to the Nethravathi river, which has hampered manual digging efforts.
Officers said that ground-penetrating radar (GPR) or mountain radar systems are under consideration to assist the exhumation, though wet soil and interference from rain can degrade signal accuracy. A final decision on using radar technology was expected to be taken Thursday.
“We are using different sets of labourers each day to ensure they get adequate rest. Three to four scattered spots will be dug on Thursday, and if no remains are found, we will take a call on re-recording the whistleblower’s statement,” said an SIT officer.
SIT chief Pronab Mohanty, who arrived at the exhumation site on Wednesday, will be joining the operation again on Thursday. The SIT is also preparing to dig a crucial spot where the whistleblower claims he had personally exhumed skeletal remains in the past.
Meanwhile, the legal counsel for Sujatha Bhat said that the complainant-witness had provided specific details about the sites and bodies, and reiterated the need for urgent and thorough investigation into each marked location. The case has drawn wide attention due to the gravity of the allegations, the involvement of multiple bodies, and the span of time that has passed since the alleged crimes.
The SIT has assured that every site identified by the complainant will be documented through mahazar (site inspection reports), and further steps will be taken based on what emerges during the current round of exhumation.