The Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointed by the Karnataka government, has begun excavation at a seventh site in Dharmasthala amid an intensifying probe into allegations of mass burials spanning nearly two decades. The operation follows the recovery of skeletal remains at an adjacent site just a day earlier, prompting authorities to increase personnel, bring in excavation machinery, and tighten security around the marked locations. The investigation is based on a chilling complaint by a former Dalit sanitation worker who anonymously alleged being coerced into burying multiple bodies—including those of women and minors—between 1995 and 2014. He claims some victims bore visible signs of sexual assault, and has since provided a formal statement before a magistrate.
A total of 15 excavation points were identified based on the complainant’s input, all within Dharmasthala, a prominent temple town in Dakshina Kannada district. Forensic teams from Mangaluru have clarified that full or nearly complete skeletons would be essential to confirm causes of death or verify allegations of foul play, as fragmented remains are insufficient for conclusive legal findings. While the skeletal remains discovered thus far are undergoing forensic analysis, local panchayat officials have maintained that over 200 unclaimed or unidentified bodies were legally buried on riverbanks and forest fringes in the absence of a formal cemetery, citing standard protocols followed when cremation wasn’t feasible.
Despite those official explanations, the SIT has not ruled out criminality. Investigators are proceeding based on a mix of documentary records and field-level intelligence, while prioritizing preservation of any emerging evidence. The state’s decision to form an SIT followed explosive claims of mass rape, murder, and illegal disposal of bodies, all allegedly hidden from public view over years. As excavation continues at the remaining sites, civil rights groups and local observers are demanding full transparency and swift action in what is increasingly being described as one of the most disturbing human rights investigations in Karnataka’s recent history.
