The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Karnataka government to probe the allegations surrounding the clandestine burial of hundreds of bodies in Dharmasthala on Saturday officially launched its inquiry in Mangaluru.
The SIT arrived in the city on Friday and initiated its investigation by interrogating the masked whistleblower who made the explosive claims.
The man, who earlier alleged on social media that hundreds of bodies were secretly buried in Dharmasthala during his tenure as a staff member under the instructions of influential individuals, was summoned to the SIT office located in Mallikatte.
He arrived accompanied by legal counsel, wearing a face cover to conceal his identity.
SIT officers reportedly questioned him for over five hours. According to people aware of the matter, as part of the interrogation, the man’s identity was verified, and the police have since removed his mask for further questioning.
The SIT officers, headed by investigation officer SP Jitendra Dayama questioned him about burial of dead bodies, particularly about the skull which he handed over to police while filing the complaint on July 3.
During the interrogation, he revealed the names of persons who forced him to bury the bodies since 1998 till 2014.
{{/usCountry}}During the interrogation, he revealed the names of persons who forced him to bury the bodies since 1998 till 2014.
{{/usCountry}}The individual, identifying himself as a former sanitation worker at Dharmasthala, alleged that he buried the bodies under orders from superiors involved with the temple administration.
Given the sensitive nature of the claims, the Karnataka government constituted a Special Investigation Team earlier this month.
The SIT is expected to examine the authenticity of the complaint, identify persons involved, and ascertain if any legal violations were committed.
The SIT is now recording detailed statements from him regarding each body he claims to have buried.
Officials are also exploring whether he holds information about other alleged crimes that occurred in Dharmasthala during his tenure.
With the case drawing statewide attention, SIT officials are under pressure to unearth the truth behind these disturbing claims, which could have far-reaching implications if found to be credible.
In the lead up to the beginning of the probe, a senior officer, associated with the SIT on Friday said the team was preparing for a meticulous operation.
“We are not merely dealing with a criminal case. If the claims are accurate, we are looking at multiple cold cases buried, literally, in layers of soil,” the officer had said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigation.
One of the first steps was the creation of a database of potential victims and eventually a DNA database. But, the process was expected to be tough.
The SIT was coordinating with local law enforcement to retrieve police records, including FIRs as well as missing persons reports from the period in question, added the senior police officer and SIT member.
(with PTI inputs)