NHRC launches probe into Dharmasthala mass burial allegations

A witness, previously a sanitation worker, claimed and asserted he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years.

A four-member team from NHRC has arrived in Belthangady taluk and on Tuesday launched a probe into the allegations of mass secret burials in Dharmasthala.

Workers leave from a site of an alleged burial related to the Dharmasthala mass burial case, at Dharmasthala, in the Dakshina Kannada district. (PTI)

Initiated by the NHRC on its own, the probe involves visits to critical local institutions, including the Gram Panchayat office, the local police station, the Dharmasthala temple premises, and the SIT (Special Investigation Team) office.

During initial consultations, the NHRC team, headed by Senior Superintendent of Police Yuvaraj, gathered records of unnatural death cases spanning decades.

Sanitation workers and other relevant individuals have provided statements to support the investigation. The inquiry is expected to span four to five days, according to the police.

A witness, previously a sanitation worker, claimed and asserted he was forced to bury numerous bodies—many of them women and minors—over several years.