By Muhammed Fazil,South First Desk
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Dharmasthala case: Karnataka HC seeks information on petitioners’ claim of more burial sites
The court then directed the petitioners to place independent information, apart from what the original complainant claimed, by 26 September.
Synopsis: The Karnataka High Court adjourned till 26 September a petition filed by two residents of Dharmasthala who sought a direction to the SIT to conduct an inspection and excavation of certain sites in their presence. The court then directed the petitioners to place independent information, apart from what the original complainant claimed, by 26 September.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday, 18 September, adjourned till 26 September a petition filed by two residents of Dharmasthala in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, who sought a direction to a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an inspection and excavation of certain sites in their presence.
However, during the hearing, the SIT informed Justice M Nagaprasanna that representations made by petitioners were based on the information disclosed to them by the original complainant, according to a report by LiveLaw.
During the hearing, the court orally remarked that granting such a relief would lead to opening a Pandora’s box where more people can come to court with claims of seeing bodies and seek investigation.
The complainant, a Dalit man, formerly employed as a sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple, alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced under death threats to dispose of hundreds of bodies, many showing signs of sexual violence and brutal murders.
However, the SIT probing the cases later arrested the man for raising the allegations.
Also Read: Skeletal remains found during SIT search at Banglegudda
Hearing at the court
On Thursday, Special Public Prosecutor N Jagadeesha pointed out in the court that the original complainant has been arrested and a “conspiracy” angle is being unearthed.
“Our investigation is that the original complainant is lying. Because he is given witness protection, he is constantly being monitored along with a stream of lawyers, and a conspiracy angle is to be unearthed now,” Jagadeesha said.
The court then directed the petitioners to place independent information, apart from what the original complainant claimed, by 26 September.
Senior Counsel Deepak Khosla, who appeared for the petitioners, argued that based on their discussion with the complainant, they have visited the sites and personally witnessed bodies.
He added, “My question is, do we need a thousand bodies, a hundred bodies or one body?”
The court, in its order, recorded: “Heard the counsel for the petitioners. The counsel submits that information, apart from what the original complainant had, is available in the hands of the petitioners as well and would place it on record. List the petition for further hearing on 26 September.”
Also Read: Sowjanya’s mother demands re-opening of 2012 murder case
Human remains recovered
On Wednesday, the SIT, while conducting searches in Banglegudda forest, reportedly found a skull, skeletal remains, pieces of clothing and other items.
The forensic team collected soil samples from the area where the bones were discovered. The SIT is continuing its inspection by surveying the location. Further details are awaited.
The development comes weeks after the complainant was arrested by the SIT.
The investigation had by then covered 17 locations that were shown to the SIT by the complainant, but when nothing concrete turned up, it was decided to do a DNA analysis of the small quantify of bones they had recovered and wait for the results.
He identified 15 possible burial sites. The first eight locations were identified along the Nethravathi River. Locations 9 to 12 were beside the highway near the river. The 13th was on the road connecting Nethravathi to Aajukuri, and the remaining two, 14 and 15, were in the Kanyadi area near the highway.
The SIT have been conducting exhumation at the sites identified by the complainant. Partial human skeletal remains were found at the sixth burial site on 31 July.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Anisha Reddy.)
