The Karnataka government on Monday informed the state assembly that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala has decided to temporarily suspend excavation and exhumation work until forensic analysis is complete.
State home minister G Parameshwara, who provided an update on the case, said soil and skeletal samples had been sent to laboratories and the probe would resume only after expert reports are received.
“The SIT has decided to stop this till reports come,” Parameshwara said in the assembly, stressing that the suspension is only temporary. He added that the course of investigation could change depending on the outcome of forensic analysis. “If chemical analysis indicates traces of human DNA, the investigation would follow a different course. The SIT has been allowed to decide. It is not the government’s call,” he said.
Parameshwara explained that, so far, skeletal remains had been retrieved at two different locations. “At one location, a skeleton was found and at another, a few bones were discovered. These samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for analysis. Until the report is received, the excavation work has been halted,” he told legislators.
According to the minister, the investigative process has been limited to exhumation and sample collection. “The actual investigation, including DNA profiling and further forensic tests, is still pending. Even the skull fragment produced earlier by the complainant has to undergo analysis, and we are awaiting that report,” Parameshwara said.
{{/usCountry}}According to the minister, the investigative process has been limited to exhumation and sample collection. “The actual investigation, including DNA profiling and further forensic tests, is still pending. Even the skull fragment produced earlier by the complainant has to undergo analysis, and we are awaiting that report,” Parameshwara said.
{{/usCountry}}He added that soil samples were also collected from different sites to test the impact of red stones on bone decomposition. “The soil samples have been sent for laboratory testing. Only after the analysis is complete will the real investigation begin,” he said.
The home minister also elaborated on allegations made in the complaint, which claimed forced burials and threats to the whistleblower. “A person went to the Dharmasthala police station and filed a complaint, stating that he had received life threats and was forced to bury the bodies. He said he filed the complaint out of guilt,” Parameshwara told the House. He added that the complainant alleged that “many people, including men and women who were sexually assaulted, were buried”.
Questions were raised by the Opposition about why the complainant himself had not been arrested. In response, the minister referred to central legislation. “There is a Witness Protection Act formed by the central government. The complainant had approached the district magistrate, and as per the committee’s directions, security has been provided to him and his family. Hence, he cannot be arrested,” he said.
The origins of the case traced back to a sanitation worker in Dharmasthala who filed a police complaint on July 3, claiming to have buried bodies of multiple women who were allegedly raped and murdered.