Karnataka Govt Sets Up SIT to Probe Dharmasthala Mass Grave Allegations

Karnataka government has also decided to set up a Special Investigation team (SIT) to probe into the so called mass graves, disappearances, and atrocities against women and students that have taken place in Dharmasthala within the last 20 years.

In a government order issued on Saturday, it observed that it was deemed fit to constitute a special investigation Team to investigate the crime under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sankhita (BNS) at the Dharmasthala Police Station and “all other criminal cases registered/to be registered in other police stations across the state of Karnataka in connection with it.”

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State Commission for Women had requested that chief minister Siddaramaiah create a SIT, headed by senior police officers, “for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into cases of missing women and female students, unnatural death murder cases, and rape cases in the Dharmasthala area over the last 20 years.”

According to a letter dated July 14, the commission quoted media reports citing July 12 which included statement of a family whose daughter went missing and a deposition in court by a daily-wage labourer who said he had himself buried more than 100 bodies in and around Dharmasthala.

A case had already been registered by the state police and remnants to this effect were about to be dug up near the Nethravathi River basing on the allegations by the witness. His identity has not been disclosed on security reasons.

The SIT will include deputy inspector general of police (recruitment) M.N. Anucheth; deputy commissioner of police of City Armed Reserve (CAR) headquarters Soumyalatha and superintendent of police (internal security division) Jitendra Kumar Dayama as its officers to head the SIT that will be headed by the director general of police (internal security division) Pranav Mohanty.

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“The aforementioned case, and all other criminal cases registered to be registered in other police stations across the state of Karnataka in connection with it, shall be transferred to the special investigation team,” the government order said.

The order further provided that the SIT will be head quartered in the Dakshina Kannada district police office and officers and staff to work in the SIT will be made available. The SIT itself has been advised to make periodical updates to the director general and the inspector general of police on the progress of its investigation, and to “submit the investigation report to the government expeditiously.”

Meanwhile on Thursday, Lawyers of Whistle-blower in the Dharmasthala mass grave case had given a memorandum office of CM Siddaramaiah who appeared to have expressed grave concern over Police collusion and information leakage as well as the use of arm twisting tactics to thwart the case made by the Lawyers of the Whistle-blower.

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