Karnataka: Advocates meet CM Siddaramaiah, urge SIT in Dharmasthala Mass Burials case

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 16 (ANI): A group of concerned public-interested lawyers met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday at the Chief Minister's Residence "Krishna" to urgently request the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged incidents of mass murder, mass rape, and mass burial at Dharmasthala, said a release.
According to the release, the advocates apprised the Chief Minister of the grave factual matrix surrounding these widely reported incidents.
They highlighted that despite an eyewitness providing a confessional statement and an FIR being registered, the investigation appears to be handled by local police and is reportedly not progressing within the mandate of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
They urged the Chief Minister to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT), monitored by an ADGP-level officer and a sitting or retired High Court Judge.
They also urged comprehensive forensic support, including DNA and digital forensics, as well as video recording, for the entire investigation process.
They also urged the Chief Minister to make immediate arrests of all individuals involved, regardless of their influence.
The advocates also stressed that prompt intervention is crucial for upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice.
Earlier, on July 12, in a key development in the Dharmasthala Mass Burials case, the complainant's statement was recorded today by the Principal Civil Judge and JMFC of Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada. The statement was taken under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS), which corresponds to Section 164 of the former Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
However, the process has raised concerns among the complainant's legal representatives, advocates Ojaswi Gowda and Sachin Deshpande. The advocates stated that they had "firmly and clearly instructed" the complainant that one of them should be present during the recording of the statement. They pointed out that the complainant is "illiterate, has never been to a Court before and had expressed serious difficulty with the process.
"Despite raising these concerns and requesting to be present, the statement was recorded in their absence. "This is for information and record," the advocates said.
In a related development, the complainant has been granted protection under the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018. A formal communication in this regard was sent to the complainant's legal team on the evening of July 10 by the concerned authorities.
The complainant has expressed gratitude to the District Judiciary of Dakshina Kannada, the police authorities, and the Government of Karnataka for promptly acting to ensure his safety.
The case came to light after a complaint was filed at the Dharmasthala Police Station, alleging the secret disposal of multiple bodies in a village in the Dakshina Kannada district. The complainant, a former sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala temple, has claimed he was involved in disposing of several bodies under threat.
His identity has been kept confidential for security reasons. Driven by guilt, he approached the Superintendent of Police with a request for protection and expressed willingness to fully cooperate with the investigation, on the condition that legal protection is granted to him and his family.
The complainant has offered to share detailed information about those involved and the specific locations where the bodies were disposed of, once safety assurances are in place. (ANI)